PLANT CITY, Fla. – Drivers heading through Plant City on Interstate 4 have likely seen this large, crumbling structure sitting just off the highway near Exit 17.
Just a few minutes from the nearby Dinosaur World theme park, this massive building almost resembles a big, white boat — enough so that some have dubbed it “The Ark of I-4.”
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While it’s in an obvious state of disrepair, what’s not obvious is what it’s supposed to be.
Property records show that the lot is vacant, and it was built in 2008. The last recorded sale of the land itself was in 1997 for a measly $10 to M. George and Arleen Hansen.
Nowadays, the only indicators that it hasn’t been completely abandoned are several “No Trespassing” signs posted around the property.
In addition, a white, circular structure can be found just next to the “ship.” It was completed in 2010 — roughly two years after the main building — though there are few indicators about why it’s there, either.
Fred Besch of Dale Mabry Heating and Metal — a local company contracted to install equipment on the premises back in 2013 — told News 6 that the structure was meant for something separate from the “ship” building, though he wasn’t sure exactly what.
According to local historian Rodney Kite-Powell, there’s little information available about the site’s purpose.
“I have wondered about that building myself,” he told News 6. “As it turns out, I don’t know that it was ever occupied, so it was never anything, so to speak. It was not built to resemble the ark, but even when it was under construction, people commented on the resemblance.”
Court records indicate that at one time, the owner had gas lines and a kitchen installed at the property for a restaurant.
Kite-Powell said that’s not too far off.
“It was either going to be the site of a war memorial or a restaurant,” he explained. “Or possibly a golf shop that would be associated with a driving range (which was never built).”
Besch echoed that claim, saying he added a kitchen hood to the property in 2013, and he was under the impression it was being set up for either an eatery or a museum.
Kite-Powell added that a local reporter spoke with owner George Hansen in 2008 — when the building was nearing completion — to ask about it.
In the article, George Hansen was reportedly quoted as saying, “There are a lot of unanswered questions, and I’m just not ready to discuss the project at this time.”
News 6 reached out to the Hansen family for more information about the site’s background, though George Hansen’s grandson said the family was not willing to talk about it.
Regardless, the “Ark of I-4″ still sits where it’s been for over a decade. And with no plans for the property being made public, it’s unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon.
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