Sulphur Springs Tower being upgraded in Tampa for the first time since 1989
TAMPA, Fla. - Jackie Boyd couldn't possibly remember the first time she saw the Sulphur Springs Tower.
"I have been here most of my life so every time I ride by I see it, so it could be like a thousand times, probably," said Boyd.
The tower has graced its neighborhood since 1927, a 214-foot tower that held a 150,000 gallon water tank for the people of Tampa.
Since the 1970s, when the water stopped flowing, it has remained a symbol of the city's history, but it has fallen further out of repair.
"Everything is just being buried," shared Boyd. "History is very important. It leaves for our children to be able to understand and appreciate. We need to keep as much of it as possible."
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The City of Tampa, though, is sprucing it up, complete with a pressure wash, 150 gallons of satin white paint and shoring up the chipped walls.
"Tampa is a city with such a rich history and culture," said Adri Colina, the City of Tampa manager of assets. "We can't forget our cigar workers. We can't forget the Sulphur Springs Tower. You can never go where you're going if you forget where you came from."
This is the first work being done on the tower since 1989. This time they're using anti-graffiti coating to make sure that it stays looking fresh and bright for an even longer period of time.
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The $309,000 project comes as the area around the tower is being used more often for neighborhood events.
Last weekend, the Florida Orchestra played a set there. And this weekend, there will be a music festival with eight bands.
The drive in movies of the 1950s are done, but the gathering point remains.
"Tampa is going forward and going forward positively," said Colina. "And this is just another step towards that."
For Boyd, the news that the lights will be replaced at the top of the tower is the best part.
"It would be beautiful," said Boyd. "It would be worth the ride to ride by here."