That empty Ybor City lot near 7-Eleven and King Corona Cigars is finally getting a facelift.
Seventh Avenue’s newest concept will help integrate old Ybor charm into Tampa Bay’s bustling real estate market, when a multifaceted building containing 8 Airbnb units, a restaurant, and Sterling Cigar Lounge & Bar opens in between 7-11 and Ink Spot tattoo parlor.
Construction on the 45 foot-tall infill building has already started, but there’s no opening date, according to permit-obsessed development website Tampa Tomorrow.
The 2,444 square-foot ground floor will be leased to an undetermined restaurant, according to TT, while the second and third floors—which have identical blueprints—will house the 8 short-term Airbnb suites. Although we don’t know much about the cigar lounge yet, the rooftop bar will definitely have 7th Ave.-facing seating to fulfill all of your Ybor people-watching needs.
Tampa Tomorrow says locally-based firm Wilder Architecture is responsible for the design of the 4-story, 94-by-26-foot space. The firm, which has conducted several historical preservation projects throughout the city, will design this infill building to coincide with the architectural integrity of its 7th Avenue neighbors, which means, you guessed it, lots of exposed brick.
The term “infill development” is typically used to describe the process of restoring or refurbishing pre-existing building structures. Infills are especially important in places like Ybor City, as they help keep the deep history and culture of the area intact; the rooftop Sterling Cigar Lounge & Bar will continue this trend typically seen in larger cities.
The new cigar lounge and bar is set to have competition throughout the downtown area, especially from the King Corona Cigars & Cafe that’s two doors, as well as from Tabanero Cigars, Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Co. and Ybor Cigars Plus, which are in walking distance from the new building.
A 2019 study by Mashvisor said the average daily rate for an Airbnb in Tampa was $141, but only time will tell how much these new 7th Avenue, short-term rentals will go for when Ybor City’s latest infill concept debuts.
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