Tampa Armature Works was in the business of repairing and providing electrical equipment from this building. They also operated the Tampa Electric streetcar storage facility in Tampa Heights, redeveloped into a popular food hall, public market, and event space in the early 2000s. This corner at 401 S Morgan St. was home to Spence-Copps Motors in the early 1930s, selling used cars, but they were gone by 1934. By 1939, Tampa Armature Works operated here and ran until 1965 from this location. Tampa Armature Works is still in business today.

In 1977, an 8,000 sq. ft. building was constructed for the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner office to move them out of the basement of Tampa General Hospital. In 2004, as Hurricane Charlie approached, the coroner was forced to move about 40 corpses to a funeral home due to the predicted 10–14-foot surge at this location. The hurricane hit Punta Gorda instead. The office moved soon thereafter. The building was leveled, most likely around the same time the Crosstown Expressway (now the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway) was constructed in 1974. It is now a parking lot used for events at the Amalie Arena.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved