The historic district of Ybor City is set to embark on a journey back in time as the City of Tampa has announced a project to restore historic brick streets on East 7th Avenue. According to ABC Action News, this revitalization effort is poised to begin in July 2024 between North 15th and 17th Streets. The project aims not only to pay homage to the area's history but also to slow down traffic and encourage alternative transportation, all while bolstering local businesses.

Initial work will focus on the stretch between 15th and 16th Streets, set to fiercely shut down for approximately six weeks. As a long-term plan, the city intends to eventually lay bricks across 14 blocks within the National Historic Landmark District—but it's a process that will unfurl one block each year. Funding for the project is slated to come directly from property taxes collected in Ybor City. In a statement obtained by FOX 13 News, Brenda Thrower, Ybor's CRA Development Manager, emphasized, "We have the highest designation when it comes to history."

The decision to reinstate the bricks nods to a period before 1960 when the city chose to cover the original brick streets with asphalt. Notably, East 7th Avenue has been acknowledged by the American Planning Association as one of America's 10 Great Streets, underscoring the significance of its historic and cultural landscape – one that was once home to a melting pot of immigrant communities and bustling cigar factories.

Despite the enthusiasm for historical accuracy and community improvement, local business owners express concern over potential impacts during the construction phases. Grant Mehlich, an Ybor City business owner, told FOX 13 News, "Now we have the city saying we may be out there for six weeks, it's not acceptable." This sentiment echoes fears that prolonged construction could to negatively affect local commerce. Yet, the city has pledged to move the project along as swiftly as possible and support businesses through the transition with additional signage, as detailed by Thrower.

The return of the bricks is part of a larger vision for Ybor City, which includes developer Darryl Shaw's Gas Worx development along 8th Avenue, already laying down bricks at a brisk pace, as noted by That's So Tampa. Shaw's project, like the brick restoration of East 7th Avenue, draws on Ybor City's historic roots, aiming to create a cohesive aesthetic that pays tribute to the iconic brick-lined streets of Tampa's past.