El Circulo Cubano 101
All you wanted to know compiled and edited by Lloyd Carrera Santos
"El Corazón de Ybor City" aka El Círculo Cubano de Tampa holds the hearts and souls of the 100's of thousands of cigar workers and their families who passed through it's halls and who's echoes and cries we hear now to save this tremendous building that held all of their hopes and dreams.
95% of these photos were taken Spring of 2016, a couple are old but included to show the general condition of the walls, ceilings and floors behind the new coat of plaster and paint job.
Roof over the 2nd floor lobby balcony. The whole roof needs to be removed and rebuilt.
Column in El Patio ready to fall forward with cement planter on top.
80% of this column is missing. Need to have one made and patched into existing
El Patio walls all need to be repaired including large cracks.
Major wood rot/termite damage
Hole where repair access was needed and never covered back up except with this piece of tin
Can’t tell by this picture, but there is water leakage all around this electrical panel
monthly there are pieces of old cement falling from all parts of the building
pipe rusting out as well as cement deteriorating and falling down from the top
Rotted french doors not being able to be replaced, so removed and thrown away and replaced with plywood
Age and neglect of cement pilar causing an unsafe loose railing
rusted and rotten metal support bars that supported the cement, now exposed by fallen cement
better view of the condition the electrical room
exposed inner wall with rusted cement support bars and floor
view of what the real ceiling condition is after removing ceiling panels that covered it
These cracks on the imported cuban tile floors are water damage from the old windows that allow rain to enter and sit on floors because the windows do not close to a tight seal
The once beautiful “Juliette balconies” completely rusted, french doors have been replaced with cement walls
another exposed inner wall, the has crumbled and covered with a board or piece of tin
ceiling/roof showing complete water damage and rotting
bottom of supporting pilar rotten and deteriorating
ceiling plaster falling exposing rusted, metal support bars in the ceiling
ceiling plaster falling exposing rusted, metal support bars in the ceiling