HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 21, 2009

Hillsborough County Commissioners Vote to Rename Tampa Bay History Center Building

In today’s regular Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting, the motion carried 7-0 to rename the Tampa Bay History Center building the 'J. Thomas Touchton Tampa Bay History Center.'

The renaming of the building was brought forward by Commissioner Rose Ferlita to honor the dedication and drive Touchton demonstrated to make the new facility a reality. Touchton, the founding chairperson, spent 20 years actively raising both endowment and capital funds for the History Center project. In addition, the Touchtons are in the process of donating their historic map collection of more than 3,000 items to the History Center. These maps and charts represent some of the “Florida” map-makers visions that have been created over the past 400 years.

The Tampa Bay History Center is located at 801 Old Water Street in the Channelside District, and serves as the County's official repository for historic artifacts. With a total cost of $52 million, $17 million provided by the County, the History Center includes 25,000 square feet of exhibit areas, featuring 12,000 years of local history, interactive displays and multiple theaters, plus a gallery that features temporary exhibits. In addition, a research library is staffed by the Hillsborough County Library system. The Columbia Restaurant operates the Columbia Cafe, complete with a replica of the original Columbia Restaurant bar in Ybor City, founded in 1905.

Learn more about the Tampa Bay History Center at www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.