“ A performing arts center would
give children who were artsoriented
b
businesses,u
i
e
s
e
,
the h
e
CEOs C
E
O
and a
n
d
their th
e
r
spouses p
o
u
e
w
would
ou
ld
need n
e
d
something s
o
m
e
h
n
g
to o
do,d
o
a r
reason e
s
on
t
to o
w
want a
t
t
to o
b
be
h
here.e
e
T
They h
ey
wouldn’t wo
u
d
n
t
want w
n
t
to to
come o
m
e
to t
a place l
c
e
w
with
t
limited l
m
t
ed
culture.u
t
r
e
That’s T
h
t
how o
w
I sold s
o
d
it.t
I I
tied ti
ed
it to
o
e
economic c
n
o
m
c
development.d
e
e
o
p
m
e
t
Nobody o
b
o
dy
was wa
w
s
going g
i
g
to
t
o
come c
o
m
e
h
here r
w
without th
o
u
s
some o
m
e
k
kind n
of f
c
culture.”
u
u
re
.”
The T
h
e
idea d
e
t
took.o
o
T
The e
d
daily a
y
p
papers a
e
rs
s
supported
u
p
o
t
ed
the t
h
platform,l
t
o
m,
m
a
and d
M
Martinez r
i
e
z
received e
c
i
e
d
almost
a
m
o
t
zero z
e
o
push-p
u
h
back b
a
k
on o
n
the t
e
proposal p
ro
p
o
a
– impressive,m
p
e
s
v
e
considering c
o
s
d
e
n
g
it t
c
carried a
ri
d
a m
multi-l
-
m
million l
o
n
dollar d
o
a
price
r
c
tag t
ag
t
that h
t
t
taxpayers,x
p
y
er
,
w
would,o
u
d
in n
part,a
t
cover.c
o
ve
r
He H
e
won
w
o
n
the t
h
1
1979 9
9
e
election.
e
c
o
n
“
As A
s
soon o
n
a
as s
I w
wa
was s
e
elected,e
t
d
I gathered g
at
h
r
d
a a
task t
a
k
force fo
r
e
t
to fi g
gure u
out how to build one
a performing arts
c
center.e
t
r
.
I c
called a
e
d
H.H
L.L
Culbreath,C
u
b
re
a
h
who w
h
o
was w
a
a good g
o
o
friend r
e
d
and a
customer at the restaurant, and I wanted
h
him m
to o
chair c
h
i
the t
e
task t
a
k
fo
force.r
e
W
We compiled o
m
p
le
d
a
a list i
t
o
of names,a
m
e
H.L. made the calls, and we had it.”
Martinez Ma
M
r
n
e
and n
d
the t
e
performing p
e
f
o
m
n
g
arts a
t
center c
e
nt
e
task t
a
k
force f
r
e
faced f
ac
a
formidable challenge: how to raise the
funds.f
u
d
s.
“
This h
s
h
had a
never e
v
r
b
been e
n
d
done o
n
in n
T
Tampa m
p
a
b
before,f
o
e
r
raising i
that much money,” Martinez says. The
$
15 5
million m
i
i
n
he h
e
thought t
o
u
g
t
would w
o
u
d
cover c
v
e
the t
h
one-on
e
hall h
a
center e
n
e
was a far cry from the 25-cents-a-week
price p
r
ce
tag t
a
of f
t
the e
mu
m
mutual t
a
aid i
societies.o
c
e
e
s
B
But,u
the h
e
c
community m
m
n
spirit was still there, carried on the
wind w
i
d
f
from o
m
t
the h
remaining e
m
a
n
n
shells h
e
s
o
of cigar ig
a
factories a
t
o
e
s
lining n
n
g
West Tampa and Ybor City. “
We realized,
though,t
h
u
g
,
that t
a
if f
people pe
o
p
e
were w
e
e
going g
o
n
to t
o
have h
av
e
to t
give,i
e
it should h
be to a non-profi t organization,
not
the t
h
local o
a
government,”o
v
r
me
m
n
,
M
Martinez r
n
e
z
remembers,e
m
e
m
b
r
“so s
o
the h
e
city c
doesn’t run it, but the non-profi t does.”
The T
h
e
d
design s
g
p
phases a
e
s
o
of t
the h
Ta
Tampa m
p
a
B
Bay y
P
Performing r
fo
r
m
n
A
Arts t
Center C
(renamed the David A. Straz, Jr.
Center C
e
n
e
f
for o
t
the h
Pe
Performing r
o
m
i
g
A
Arts r
s
in n
2009)2
0
09
)
proved p
o
e
d
challenging,c
h
ll
en
with a
few hiccups along the way
but b
u
no o
major m
o
r
bumps b
u
m
s
in in
the t
h
road.o
a
.
“The T
h
e
people p
o
p
e
on o
n
the t
e
committee c
were all local business and
community c
o
m
m
u
i
y
leaders,le
a
e
r
we w
were w
r
e
doing d
i
g
this t
h
for o
our o
r
community,c
m
m
for the growth of Tampa, and a lot of
the t
h
people e
o
p
e
involved n
vo
l
e
d
in n
t
the h
construction o
n
t
u
ct
o
n
were w
e
e
local.lo
c
a
We W
wanted to do it right,” Martinez says.
“
If,f
for f
r
some s
o
m
reason e
s
o
the h
e
performing p
r
o
r
m
n
arts r
s
center c
n
t
r
hadn’t h
d
n
materialized, it would have been fi rst a
denial d
e
i
l
t
to the h
e
yo
young u
n
people e
o
p
e
w
who h
o
n
needed e
d
d
a
arts rt
s
education.e
u
c
t
Second, it would have been a denial to
people p
e
o
l
who w
o
can’t c
a
’
aff a
ff
ord o
d
t
to o
go
go to o
B
Broadway.o
a
w
a
y
It t
w
would o
u
d
have had an adverse impact on recruiting
business.b
u
i
e
s
A
p
performing r
o
rm
m
n
arts r
s
center c
n
te
r
showed sh
o
w
e
that h
at
we w
e
were w
a growing, sophisticated community,”
Martinez Ma
M
r
n
e
says.a
ys
“If f
we w
e
hadn’t h
a
n
t
built b
u
t
the th
e
Straz S
r
z
Center,C
e
n
e
Tampa Ta
wouldn’t have seen growth of the same
magnitude.m
a
g
i
u
d
.
A
As you o
u
c
can n
s
see,e
,
I’m ’
m
real e
a
p
proud ro
u
d
o
of our u
r
c
community.m
And what we have at the Straz
Center C
e
n
e
is second e
co
n
d
t
to none.”
o
n
e
Bob B
o
b
M
Martinez a
t
n
z
gambled g
a
m
l
d
on o
n
the t
h
economic c
o
o
m
i
savvy s
a
v
y
of o
relying e
on the
performing p
e
f
or
m
n
g
a
arts t
to t
o
drive d
i
e
growth g
o
w
t
– and n
d
won.w
o
n.
This T
h
incredible n
r
story
started s
a
rt
e
simply i
m
l
enough,n
o
u
h
with w
h
a a
teacher-t
ea
c
e
r
turned-t
r
e
d
restaurateur r
es
ta
u
who
knew k
n
w
that h
at
the t
h
power o
w
e
of o
f
culture c
l
u
e
could c
o
u
d
transform r
n
s
o
m
a town
o
into i
t
o
an a
international n
e
n
a
o
n
al
d
destination.
e
t
n
t
o
n.
strengths and talents. Children
who were arts-oriented ought to
have the same opportunities to
develop those talents as children
who have athletic talent.” – Bob Martinez
e
n
e
i
t
W
o
ty
e
g
o
n
t
o
h
e
m
m
m
n
av
re
p
y
d
a
w
n
i
e
n
o
H
g
w
y
We
l
n
n
m
t
w
a
S
e
a
a
n
l
u
u
u
L
h
st
m
o
a
a
r
T
b
e
t
s
p
s
o
e
g,
m
y,
n
e
e
h
g
w
t
w
t
fo
te
ia
o
ad
ro
o
.
n
t
t
w
o
o
a
rm
t
fa
t
a
w
m
de
m
m
r
w
m
o
t
n
h
e
t
t
e
,
n
n
n
d
n
e
t
e
r
d
i
n
w
l
A
h
r
o
a chance to develop their
t
e
t
d
u
c
a
p
a
r
m
w
e
o
d
t
a
g
t
y
bu
a
h
b
h
y
s
a
n
n
e
fe
e
g
d
i
w
d
s
h
w
l
h
a
c
o
o
e
m
fr
ti
n
o
i
d
w
e
o
w
o
e
o
av
a
e
l
h
n
m
h
Y
p
u
e
c
d
-
t
h
a
w
t
wo
u
s
p
e
o
e
e
t
n
e
,”
e
e
r
t
t
a
p
a
f
t
h
v
p
ca
n
a
l
e
t
e
b
o
t
D
c
o
t
i
u
d
e
i
s
w
h
d
h
m
t
e
a
d
g
M
2
c
C
o
e
v
s
r
w
e
a
5
a
t
rg
n
d
a
u
am
M
e
b
t
d
o
T
a
e
a
t
g
v
e
n
e
h
rt
c
ri
y.
a
o
A
o
s
m
r
b
e
o
c
w
t
f
,
h
o
n
n
ed
o
a
d
w
e
t
m
d
i
t
-
n
e
ti
o
a
h
W
a
p
t
t
s
i
-
S
g
n
a
i
e
n
n
o
h
t
n
z
fi
d
c
m
f
S
e
n
a
e
m
o
e
n
I
”
g
w
a
s
w
h
a
,d
r
w
d
a
y
t
ia
t
i
e
az
a
-
t
re
o
fi
,
n
d
a
r
e
u
u
th
tr
a
a
se
T
e
z
n
o
y
o
a
l
n
y
s
t
t
t
h
k
e
t
e
t
h
e
o
d
m
,
”
o
e
BOB MARTINEZ