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Rehab project for historic West Tampa landmark starts next month

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Published  September 15, 2024 1:19pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Rehabbing a historic West Tampa home

Jennifer Kveglis reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - A historic West Tampa landmark is getting a facelift.

The Guida House was named after George Guida Sr. who was known back in the 50s as "Mr. West Tampa". Guida was a notorious local civic leader, philanthropist, and family man.

His home is located in the neighborhood now known as Macfarlane Park, and takes up an entire block. Rodney Kite-Powel, a historian at the Tampa Bay History Center said Guida designed it by himself and used his skills as the owner of a home furnishing store.

"It does have all of the hallmarks of what would kind of be a mid-century modern home. Latina glass blocks used as windows in some places, casement windows," explained Kite-Powel. 

Guida built his driveway in the shape of a heart to showcase his love for his wife.

"[It was] great for entertaining, there was an outdoor kitchen area," he said.

In 1984, the City of Tampa acquired it and in 2006, the home was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it's boarded up, rusted and surrounded in rubble. Currently, the property serves as a staging site for a neighborhood infrastructure project.

Dennis Fernandez, Historic Preservation Manager for the City of Tampa said, "Currently, it's in a state where it's just moth-balled, in a holding pattern."

Fernandez said big plans for the Guida House are underway.

"It will be a total rehabilitation. We've had architects come in that laser-scanned it so that we can get all of the details," he said.

The City is working with the Guida family, using old photos as inspiration to bring the home back to life. The first phase, re-roofing, begins in October. The whole rehab project should be completed in 2027.

"We're looking at multiple uses for it. One of them would be to allow an organization to come in and utilize it for its day-to-day operations," shared Fernandez.

He also said it could be used for special events.

"But then also to open it up to the public, because that's really the connection that the house has always had with the community," added Fernandez.

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