Capt. H G Warner constructed this building at the corner of Lafayette (now Kennedy Blvd.) and Ashley in 1907, with the first floor dedicated to storefronts and the top two floors a lodging house. Warner opened his Curio store here. The Hotel Raymond opened in 1950 in the former Warner Building. In this photo, Happy’s Corner restaurant was serving steaks and pork chops when the hotel opened, but it was closed, and the fixtures were sold in 1953. In 1954, a mid-day raid on the Jockey Billiards Club door led law enforcement officials to a second-floor room where five people were arrested. Officials voiced concerns about the area becoming skid row. After eight years of providing affordable lodging to downtown Tampa, the building was sold in 1958. The owners liquidated the contents of its 34 rooms.

The entire block was cleared, and in 1971, the 36-story, $20-million First Financial Tower construction began. It was home to the First National Bank of Tampa, and GTE Data Services was to occupy nine floors. It was the state's tallest building and opened to the public on December 3, 1973. The building has had other names, including the Lykes Building and Park Tower. In 2016, it sold for $79.75 million to City Office REIT and underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved