A manifest injustice took place regarding the purchase and sale of this truly one-of-a-kind landmark building in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. Many individuals and organizations were harmed. The loss to the Tampa Bay community was substantial. All funds raised from this campaign will go towards supporting legal efforts pending for this beloved historic property, built on community funds, to once again be a special place for the community. A portion of each donation will also assist music and art based programs, helping those less fortunate experience the joy and healthy benefits of creating music and art. With your support, this 1926 Mediterranean Revival architectural masterpiece has the potential to be Music Mansion. A vibrant cafe, special event venue and interactive museum. A community hub of music and art programs benefiting people of all ages and incomes. An inspirational, educational and entertaining landmark destination for both residents and visitors to the Sunshine City. Please donate what you can comfortably afford and help share this fundraiser and historic cause. Thank you!

To learn more about Music Mansion, the Landmark Building and the fight to save it for the community, click or tap on "read more" and scroll down below and take a tour inside. 

OUR STORY & HISTORY OF THE LANDMARK BUILDING

Hello, my name is Mark Patterson, Executive Director of Music Is Our Medicine Inc., a non-profit based in St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay, Florida whose mission is to provide music lessons and instruments to those less fortunate, and create outlets for people to channel their inner creativity into the common bond of music. I am organizing this fundraiser to assist a community effort supporting legal efforts pending regarding this beloved and city designated landmark building to be special place for the entire community again. I also want to help as best I can right the many wrongs that many in our community believe took place at a previously scheduled and court approved closing on this historic property, and educate those who are unfamiliar with this important community-focused project and historic cause. The many harms that took place should not stand. This landmark and community deserves better!!!

This Mediterranean Revival masterpiece was built in 1926 on $550,000 of community funds, for a great community purpose. That is an approximate value of nearly (8) eight million dollars in today's money! For over 70 years this landmark building benefited many people's lives, both young and young at heart, through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body. All those that gave back then, and over the many decades thereafter, contributed towards an important community focused mission. Their monument speaks volumes, and the legacies of all those that gave their time, labor and money to create this one-of-a-kind community center, still matter today! As does everyone in St. Petersburg and the entire Tampa Bay area now, who will be benefit by this landmark building being open to the entire community once again. Your support will help determine what this cherished historic property on hallowed ground will ultimately be, an elite boutique hotel with private condo on top for a wealthy few (or) a vibrant music and art based community center for everyone.

Together, we can honor the legacies of those that contributed greatly to create this amazing place by supporting legal efforts and a project that focused on this community-funded gem being restored and repurposed the right way, and for a community-purpose. A community effort helped save this landmark building from the wrecking ball. Now we need your help to save it again! This time for Music Mansion and Music Is Our Medicine's long delayed and rightful home. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Donate what you can comfortably afford.
2. Post this fundraiser on all your social media.
3. Share this fundraiser link with your family, friends and those that love music, art and historic preservation.
     
Your prayers and positive thoughts for this campaign are also welcomed and appreciated. If you would like to send a suggestion, letter of encouragement and/or prefer making a donation via check or money order, please do so at the address listed below:

Music Is Our Medicine Inc. 
P.O. Box: 7182 
St. Petersburg, Florida 33734  

Thank you very much for your time, consideration and contribution.

Mark Patterson
Executive Director
Music Is Our Medicine Inc.
Music Is Our Medicine St Pete @ Gmail  .com
http://musicisourmedicine.org/ 

HISTORIC PROJECT

Music Mansion is the best of the music and creative arts community working together at one amazing historic location. A wise vision for repurposing this community-funded landmark building to once again be a vibrant and diverse community use. We are confident it is also the best, highest and rightful use for this historic property, for it honors both it's original design, and community benefiting mission/intent. A good visual for Music Mansion is a multi-use music and art factory with a House of Blues/Hard Rock Cafe styled special event venue inside, that assists inner-city kids, veterans and elder citizens by day, with music and art based programs of educational, therapeutic and instruction, along with a vibrant calendar of entertainment, socializing and dining options at night, with live music, concerts and festivals plus art exhibits, community functions and special events for a myriad of tastes and event needs. A truly one-of-a-kind historic music/art cafe, venue and music museum "experience" and landmark destination, with many other complimenting operations and events on multiple floors for all to enjoy. A truly special place that highlights the rich history of St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay music, art, sports and film, artists of the past, while supporting and developing new and established artists and diverse talents in the bay area today, launching and/or fostering their unique creative works on to the world.

A great development team of professionals with many decades of expertise in historic restoration and preservation, project management, construction, structural engineering, venue operations, sales and marketing, grants and fundraising, accounting and legal is assembled for this important community focused project. Non-profit and for-profit alliances, plus community and city support for the project, has also been attained. Music Mansion will honor the legacies of those that contributed greatly to create this amazing place, and together, by supporting this historic campaign, their is still hope of seeing this community-funded and beloved gem be saved, restored and repurposed, for the community once again!

Whether one believes they are creative or not, we can all appreciate music, art and film in its wonderful and uplifting forms. We can respect and be moved by the creative works of others, and also encourage people to follow their creative passions. We can also support this project, and hopefully soon, we can experience Music Mansion-St. Petersburg!!!

(WFLA Channel 8 News aired Spring 2013)

HISTORIC CAUSE

A court approved real estate purchase closing was scheduled to take place on this historic Mediterranean Revival gem for the Music Mansion project. The deed for the landmark building should have been transferred. In an effort to rectify the many harms that occurred that day, and recover the substantial damages that occurred thereafter, there are legal efforts pending seeking the "rescinding" and/or "unwinding of the sale" of this beloved historic property. This important pursuit for justice has been a long, exhaustive and expensive road. It has also been dangerous and traumatic with threats and acts of intimidation by the current owner of this beloved historic property. But neither the plaintiff, nor many dedicated supporters in the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay community will be bullied into stopping the pursuits for justice. For as the late great Dr. Martin Luther King stated: “Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere...whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” 

We believe what happened with the purchase and sale of this landmark property was horribly wrong. Supporting this campaign will hopefully allow justice to finally prevail. And while there is no way to guarantee the outcome of the legal pursuits in progress, doing nothing is not an option, and would allow for the injustice to stand unchallenged. This campaign is a call to the great people of St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay community and those across the globe, who love and support music and art, community-based projects, historic preservation and important causes for justice. Please help this campaigns pursuit for justice and seeing the rightful ownership take place for this beloved landmark building!

(Tampa Bay Times/tbt* July 16, 2014)

HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

We saved this city designated landmark building from being demolished for a new drive-through bank! While the team behind the Music Mansion project had site control on this beloved historic property, via a $1,400,000 purchase and sale agreement, that agreement, along with a dedicated effort, support from the community plus sound judgment from city officials, prevented a group from purchasing and demolishing this community-funded building to construct a drive-through bank. Thankfully the application for demolition presented to the city by the seller was ultimately withdrawn, and this beloved and one-of-a-kind historic property still stands today. Had that important work not taken place, the other sale could have taken place and this beloved city landmark building would be gone!

Our teams advocacy, along with St. Petersburg Preservation (now Preserve The 'Burg), and other community organizations also assisted getting this beloved landmark building added to The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation's "11 Most Endangered Historic Sites" highlighting this Mediterranean Revival gem to an even larger audience. During this time, the Music Mansion team was gifted vintage black & white photos from the Moore family, via the grandson of the father and son construction team who built this amazing structure. These amazing photos, taken in 1926, before the public was allowed to enter, give a stunning glimpse at what the landmark building looked like inside. A treasure trove of photography that can now assist in the proper restoration of this beloved historic place. 

We allowed access to everyone who desired entry to the landmark building. Because of the Music Mansion project and team, and its community-focused goals, along with many dedicated supporters of the project in the community, thousands of people were able to enter and experience this beloved landmark building for the first time in over a decade. Numerous historic and educational tours were hosted on weekends, and as requested during the week. Access was free to the public, bringing both joy with wonderful new experiences and cherished memories to many people of all ages. Especially those that grew up attending this important place throughout the years, learning to swim, play basketball, exercise, weight train, karate and self defense, ballet lessons, and for the very daring, rappelling down the outside of the historic property from the rooftop tower.

Note: Since the initial sale in 2001, several developers and owners have all failed to properly restore and repurpose the historic property. Their attempts to convert this community-funded historic gem to high-end condominiums, apartments and even a lavish private house, were all unsuccessful. We believe this landmark building is sacred ground, and it's roots in the community, legacies of donors and original mission should be honored and respected by saving and properly restoring the beloved historic property for a community purpose and not an elite only, nor private one. We are confident the best, highest and rightful use for this once vibrant community hub is Music Mansion!!!

We produced the award winning event A SLICE OF THE BURG: Music, Art and Food Street Festival with The Godfather of Funk: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic! This amazing block party highlighted the talents of 14 local bands, singer-songwriters and DJ/host performing on (2) two outdoor stages. This all inclusive and diverse festival also featured an art exhibit inside the landmark building with numerous local artists, displaying their creative works of art and sculptures for attendees to enjoy. Perhaps the first time a music concert, art show, food festival and historic cause took place simultaneously in Tampa Bay.

Special thanks to the Tampa Bay Times, C1 Bank, Vector Realty, Wells Fargo and the City of St. Petersburg for allowing the street closure and this special event to take place. Then after the rains came, a big round of applause goes to Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill who allowed us to move this epic event, along with its main act The Godfather of Funk George Clinton, and the very dedicated and soaked crowds, to dance the night away in Ferg's Party Deck till the wee hours, instead of having to cancel the show. While the unrelenting afternoon downpour hampered the financial goals of the event, everyone that attended, especially those that stayed, and hung out till the very end, had a blast and assisted A Slice of The Burg! receiving a Best of The Bay Award from Creative Loafing for "Best Concert Relocation!" The show thankfully did go on, as must this important project and historic cause!!!

Many great community benefiting projects were also created because of the Music Mansion project. In addition to the numerous weekly historic and educational tours that were open to the public free of charge, supporters of the project also provided free music lessons and arts and crafts sessions inside the landmark building to all that desired them. We also allowed for other inspiring and lasting moments to take place inside, and outside, the historic property such as: photo shoots, music video productions, film and video, yoga sessions and more.

A local artist drafted a fashion line using the landmark's unique architecture as inspiration. A local student filmmaker created a short film that won best place award at the Gasparilla International Film Festival. A local television station morning news show broadcast multiple live updates from the landmarks open-air courtyard. CBS scouted the inside of the historic property for the documentary/news magazine TV show 48 Hours. Someone even requested we host their wedding ceremony inside the beloved building, even though there was no air conditioning nor bathrooms, and the roof was leaking from ownership neglect. All of which demonstrated to us how much this landmark building is revered by so many, and needs to be for the community once again.

A lot of great work for the community took place. In fact we did more for the community of St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay at the landmark building in (1) one year (without ownership of the historic property) than the current and all previous owners have since this Mediterranean Revival gem was sold into private hands. The community and city, from the Mayor on down, were very much in favor of Music Mansion, and many people in the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay still very much are. There was never any doubt gleaned from our efforts that Music Mansion is the best, highest and rightful use for this community-funded landmark building.

Given the opportunity again, via the important legal efforts in progress or settlement, this special place, that the good elder citizens of St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay built, and maintained, for over 70 years, can once again be for the entire community. With your support, and contributions from those that love music, art and historic preservation, we hold the chance to win back what we believe is rightfully meant for the community, and make Music Mansion and this beloved landmark a vibrant destination for many more generations to come! 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read our story and learn more about this important project that has the entire community's best interest in mind. We greatly appreciate you contributing what you can to this fundraiser, and helping spread the word on this truly historic cause! But before you go...please take a few more minutes of your time to view some of the examples from the creative projects from the community of Tampa Bay that highlights the landmark building, while the Music Mansion project team had site control.

Below there is also historic picture tour inside this truly one-of-a-kind 1926 historic property for your viewing pleasure.

ENJOY!!!

MUSIC VIDEOS
ED WOLTIL
Random Access Memory
THE DITCHFLOWERS
Tuesday Is Dead
SLEEPWAVE
Through The Looking Glass
Featuring Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath and Stephen Bowman
SHORT FILM
VISITANT
By Angel Callahan
Featuring: Angel Callahan and Dana Callahan
Special photo bomb in closing credits to the band: Arctic Monkeys
YOGA
By: Acro Yoga Tampa Bay & Beyond
PHOTO SHOOTS
Title: All Mine
Model: Aiya Campbell
Makeup: Kristin Marcum VLVT Salon
Hair: Michele Pillucere Clark @ VLVT Salon
Styling: Rosey Williams @ Ramblin' Rose Upcycle
By Vadder Photography
FASHION DESIGN
Title: Hardware
By: Sorian
HISTORIC PICTURE TOUR
116 5th Street South (Landmark Building)
St. Petersburg/Sunshine City, Florida 33701  
GIVE IT NEW LIFE!!!
MUSIC MANSION-ST. PETERSBURG

DISCLAIMER: This fundraiser and information campaign is not affiliated with the current nor previous owners of the landmark building, the National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations of the United States America or the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg. The landmark building pictured above and referenced further in this campaign received Landmark status from the City of St. Petersburg, Florida in 1991. The landmark building was determined eligible for listing in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1985.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."