Arts & Culture Magazine - January/February 2008 - (Page 47) Architecture Issue 2008 A fter nearly 30 years in Sarasota, Don and Lisa Murphy are very much a part of the community. They own 1220 AM radio. Their commercial building company, D. E. Murphy Constructors, Inc., is celebrating its 25th anniversary. And they are about to open downtown Sarasota’s first rooftop night club restaurant. As commercial builders, the Murphys have left a considerable imprint on the Sarasota landscape—from fast food franchises to office properties to pre-engineered metal manufacturing facilities. They have also done unusual projects, such as the concrete domed Bishop Nevins Academy and the curvilinear SCAT Bus terminal downtown. “When you’ve been in the business for 20 or more years, you tend to look for challenges,” says Lisa. One of the challenges close to Don’s heart is restoring historic buildings. He has converted an old hotel in New York’s Adirondack Mountains into residential apartments and commercial space. “We’re big fans of the mixed use concept,” says Don. More recently, the Murphys have taken on the old Sarasota Times Building on First Street. The three-story structure, which dates back to the 1920s Florida land boom, has had a checkered history. Designed in the then popular Spanish Colonial Revival style, it first housed the Sarasota Times newspaper and later became a guava jelly factory. Over the years, it has also been an apartment building and provided living and studio space for artists, including Syd Solomon, Larry Rivers, Bonnie Bell, and Carl Abbott. By the time the Murphys bought the property in 2002, it had fallen into disrepair and was basically a shell inside. The first thing they did was to restore the outside to its original condition. Using old photographs and other research, they had exact replicas made to replace the original steel windows. They also repaired the cupola, fixed up the wrought iron balconies, and repainted the exterior. On the interior, they opened up the building all the way to the back. They tore out a badly decayed wooden mezzanine to the front and replaced it with a concrete mezzanine in the rear. They also connected the first and third floors which had been accessible only by separate stairs. “Now they’re all tied into one staircase and one elevator shaft,” Don says. The main difficulty in historic renovation, according to Don, is to bring everything up to ADA codes and fire regulations. In this case, they have had to raise some floors and lower others, run beams overhead, and add an exterior fire escape. “It’s a challenge to make it all work,” he says. For the Murphys, this project has been a labor of love. That’s why they gave a lot of thought to what to do with the building. At first they entertained the idea of moving their offices to the third floor and installing a café downstairs. But after getting the necessary permits for restoration, they realized that a restaurant made the most sense. It all came together when Don climbed up on the roof and saw the possibilities of creating something unique and new there. Soon the idea for a Flamenco lounge was born. “A restaurant with a rooftop bar and lounge will be a great addition to downtown for all the people living and working here,” Lisa says. For more information on D.E. Murphy Constructors, Inc., call 941.955.5990 or visit www.demurphy.com. Old Sarasota Times Building, 1216 1st St. arts and culture magazine : : 47 http://www.demurphy.com
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