The City of Tampa is scheduled to begin restoring Ybor City’s 7th Avenue to its original brick look starting later this month.
While city officials are aiming to bring back the area’s historic charm, many business owners and residents are concerned the project’s impact on the community.
GCM Insurance & Risk Management Advisors founder Grant Connor Mehlich said that blocking the streets for construction will hurt businesses in the area that are already suffering.
The efforts will close one of Ybor's main thoroughfares between 15th and 17th Streets for up to six weeks, as workers take up the current asphalt and replace it with historic city brick, like what was there before it was removed in the 1960s.
Mehlich is also worried about the timeline and pace of the project.
“(The city) is talking about doing one block a year,” Mehlich said. “That's unacceptable to me: that's going to hurt businesses, that's going to hurt the community.”
“And on top of that, who wants ugly wired fence in the middle of 7th Avenue for six weeks?” Mehlich added.
There are also concerns that the re-bricked roads will impact accessibility and mobility for residents.
“If we're going to break off 7th, let's do it,” Mehlich said. “Let's do it from Nuccio (Parkway) to 21st (Street). Let's not gerrymander and put things together in pieces.”
The project is expected to happen in phases over the next few years, paid for by tax money collected in Ybor City.
The city will be utilizing bricks collected from various city works projects, with this year's construction costs estimated to be just over $430,000.
City officials are assuring residents and business owners that they’re doing what they can to keep disturbances to a minimum.
"We are making every effort to move this project along as quickly as possible and assist businesses by providing additional signage and promotion to help offset any negative impacts that the construction would have,” said Brenda Thrower, the Ybor Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Development Manager.
Ultimately, the city views the project as the latest effort to beautify the historic area, as well as calm traffic and improve safety.
