Dubois F. Owen came to Tampa in 1903 and was a business cheerleader, promoting the area as ideal for anyone seeking opportunities. Along with his car dealership selling Franklin cars, he owned the D.F. Owen Company, a wholesale automotive equipment and supplies distributor. As Tampa grew, so did the desire for cars and parts.  Owen was also President of the Owen-Jo Tire Co., president of the Tampa Furniture Co., and director of a bank. He died in 1944.

The Ft. Brook Parking garage opened in 1982 and was named after the U.S. Army installation that stood in the area in the 1830s during the Seminole War. The fort was named after Col. George Brooke. It shuttered in the 1880s and was annexed by Tampa by 1907. The ground floor of the building has several bronze markers commemorating the sacred spot. Some might remember the $7-million People Mover elevated tram attached to the garage designed to shuttle folks back and forth to Harbour Island that opened in 1985. They might also remember the tram's failure as it was inconvenient and frequently inoperable, and the initially popular massive Harbour Island Market Place went bust by 1995. The People Mover was dismantled in 1999.  

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