Untold Architectural Black History of Tampa, Florida: My 36-Year Architectural Career in Tampa

By Ronald Lee Harden

The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Gaither and Bloomingdale High Schools, the Harbour Island project, Mobley Park, and Osbourne Landing Apartments ... are just a few of the projects Architectural Project Manager Ronald L. Harden has been a part of that have helped the community of Tampa expand both economically and culturally in 36 years. The

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadersMagnet LLC
• Release date: Apr 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781956780765

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Untold Architectural Black History of Tampa, Florida: My 36-Year Architectural Career in Tampa

Copyright © 2021 by Ronald Lee Harden. All rights reserved.

Published in the United States of America

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-956780-77-2

ISBN Hardback: 978-1-956780-78-9

ISBN eBook: 978-1-956780-76-5

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of ReadersMagnet, LLC.

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Book design copyright © 2021 by ReadersMagnet, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Ericka Obando

Interior design by Renalie Malinao

Since I was blessed to have the opportunity to have a thirty-six career in architecture, made possible by the courageous efforts of the people of the Civil Rights Movement and by movements by others prior to the 1950s, I would like to dedicate this book to the Freedom Fighter’s of The United States of America.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

Prologue: In Tampa

My First Job in an Architectural Office

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

The Madison at SoHo

Gaither High School

Huntington Plaza

Sheraton Suites Hotel

The Shops at Old North East

Tampa International Airport, Main Terminal Parking Garage Addition

The Madison at St. Petersburg

John Chestnut Sr. Park

The Shops at Clermont

Harbor Island, Phase 1: Office Building, Hotel, Retail Plaza

Mobley Park Apartments

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Carver City

Sports Authority/PetSmart Retail Center

North Pointe Crossing Retail Center

The Shops of Carrollwood

Tampa Humane Society

SweetBay Supermarket

Cypress Commons Office Building and Parking Garage

Carousel Galleries

Mexican Food Pit

Bloomingdale High School

OVO Cafe

Premier Corporate Centre 1

Palm Auto Mall Toyota

Palm River Retail Center

Hillsborough County School Administration Building

Osbourne Landing Apartments

Lazydays RV Center

Tampa City Center, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Fort Brooke Parking Garage

McDonald’s PlayPlace

Brandon Honda Car Dealership

1986 FA/ AIA Award of Excellence in Architecture

Artwork

Time in the Military

Summary

Untold Architectural Black History of Tampa, Florida

Family

Friends

Acknowledgement

Mr. William J. Webber of Reynolds, Smith & Hills Architects, was the first man to hire me, and I will never forget him, for he launched my career.

I would like to thank the owners and principals of MJS&H, George McElvy, Jim Jennewein, Jack Steph­ any, Prentise Howard, Maynard Lemke, Dan Masters, and Phillip McCormick, for giving me the opportu­ nity to work in architecture in 1976, along with the great group of employees, among them Jan Abel, Rod Chitwood, Mike Lusky, Doug Mann, and Boozer Payne, and the people in the administration department: Donna Martin, Phyllis, Sharon, Connie, Patty, and Veronica, to name a few. I enjoyed the experience of working there.

Walter Stanton, John Schwanebeck, Jack Rilling, Jay Ramsey, Charley Valenardi, Carl Shawver, Russ Miller, Ronald Harvey, Donald Leech, Bronco Balic, Bob, Dee, Sandy, and Elizabeth are among the wonder­ ful people I had the pleasure of knowing in my time at RS&H.

I also would like to thank Richard Hartmann of Hartmann Architecture, his wife, Wendy (finance administrator), Margie (office administration), and fellow coworkers in the architectural department, Rob, Mark, Steve, Pete and Andi, for their kindness.

I would like to thank the efforts of many people throughout our country’s history who have paved the way and made it possible for me to even have a career in architecture in the South. I would like to thank the many people that I have known in my career, some I have noted in this book and so many others I have not-they know who they are and that I am grateful to have known them.

I would like to thank Cub Scout den mother Mrs. Rella Bell and her husband Andrew for opening up their home for the many boys from Carver City and Lincoln Gardens and giving us guidance and direction in life. I also would like to credit to Mr. Randolph Kinsey for his advice to me on creating this book.

Most of all, I would like to thank my ancestors for the hardships they endured for so many years so that I could be what I am today. I would like to give thanks to my mother, step-father, grandmother, step-grandfather, uncle, aunts, sister, brothers and all of my nieces, nephews, and cousins throughout my family. I will always cherish my family visits to my maternal great-grandfather, Grady Williams, of Palmetto, during my childhood.

I hope that this book will inspire the younger generation to stay in school and try to achieve something in life that not only gives them pride, but also their parents, guardians, and ancestors. There are words that have always stuck in my mind since the ninth grade, the motto of Howard W Blake High School-they are not big words, and one does not need an extensive education to understand them. They are We Can Because We Think We Can.

Prologue: In Tampa

My name is Ronald Lee Harden. I have a unique story to tell, the story