Robert H. Rowan

Bob Rowan, best known in St Petersburg for his years of work in Housing and Redevelopment, passed away on Tuesday, August 9th, 2016. He was preceded in death by his wife, Claire Potvin Rowan, and by one grandchild. Those surviving him are his sons, David and Michael, and four grandchildren: Aurora, Sierra, Danielle and H. Rigg Rowan. Robert Hydler Rowan was born in Queens, New York in 1935. He was the only son of Adelaide Leddin and William A. Rowan. As a young man he was on vacation in Bermuda when he met his future wife, Claire, where they had to overcome a language barrier; he only spoke English and she only spoke French. They were devoted to each other for 43 years of marriage, until her death in 2005. Bob was a great father; supporting both of his sons in their education, hobbies and business endeavors. Bob studied architecture at Columbia University and MIT. He worked for prestigious architectural firms and was a building planner for the Robert Goddard Library in Worcester, Mass. and the Mummers Theater in Oklahoma City, among others. He went on to teaching Architecture at the University of Montreal (in French) for seven years. For most of that time Bob was in charge of the Universities Graduate Program in Urban Design. In 1976 Robert Rowan came to St Petersburg and worked for the city as Manager of Housing and Project Planning for the Urban Redevelopment Department from 1976 to 1982. Over the next few years his title changed a few times, but he was always committed to making St Petersburg a better place to live through housing initiatives and downtown development projects. In these capacities he was involved in planning and/or monitoring the redevelopment of the Jamestown, Gas Plant, Campbell Park, Intown, Intown-West, Bayboro Harbor and Central Plaza areas of the City. He also coordinated planning for many of the City's CDBG funded Housing Rehabilitation programs and the Jannus Landing and 16th Street South Commercial Revitalization projects, as well as the development of the Dwight H. Jones and Enoch D. Davis Community Centers. Over the years, Mr. Rowan was also involved with the Webb's City, Pier Park, Convention Center, USF Bayboro Campus expansion, Pier, Tropicana Field, Bayfront Center/Mahaffey Theater renovation, and South Core Retail/Parking Complex projects - with direct design, development and construction management responsibility for the latter three. Of all these he was most proud of the beauty and success of the Mahaffey Theater. From 1992 until his retirement in 2001 Bob Rowan was the Manager and Director of the City's Department of Housing and Economic Development (now: Housing and Community Development). In "retirement" he continued to help people find homes by writing grant applications for various non-profit housing organizations. He was honored by groups such as The Pinellas County Homeless Leadership Network, St Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services, PCCH, YWCA and others. Robert H Rowan passed away quietly at home after spending the previous day with his two sons and several grandchildren. There will be no public viewing or services. However we can all raise a glass in his honor at a celebration of his life on Tuesday, August 16th at Three Birds Tavern, 1492 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, from 4:30-7:30PM.