Construction in 1925 ran at a fever pitch. Building materials in Tampa were in short supply, and a record $4 million in construction permits was spent. Nearly half that amount was spent on Davis Islands alone. In 1912, work began along the shoreline of downtown Tampa. That section, known as the Estuary, was initially designed exclusively for shipyards, warehouses, and manufacturing plants. It was purchased by Col. Alfred R Swann, namesake of Swann Avenue in South Tampa. By the early 1920s, businessmen needed more land within the city limits to build their businesses. Rent values along Franklin Street and Lafayette (now Kennedy Boulevard) had skyrocketed, and the Estuary opened its doors for other types of business. By 1926, The Estuary District had become home to 27 commercial agencies.

The Pullman Company purchased two lots in June 1925 and began construction here. This was their second facility, with the first being in Miami. The plan was to serve the entire West Coast of Florida. In the early 1940s, the company was challenged when fuel oil rationing began, and they converted to coal.

The building was home to Better Built of Tampa, an automotive parts rebuilder, starting in the early 1980s. That same timeframe was a period of decline when property values dropped here. The Tampa Port Authority acquired a large section of the waterfront property in the 1980s and developed a master plan to establish Garrison Seaport in the 1990s. This property was auctioned in November 2000 and sits in disrepair today, surrounded by Water Street's $3 billion development.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved