Entertainment District vs. Historic Neighborhood
If you ask most people what they think about Ybor, they would say it is Tampa’s entertainment district or perhaps describe it as the "Latin Quarter". This image needs to change and the neighborhood must make an effort to dispell its reputation as a single-use district. We, as neighbors and business owners in Ybor, should strive to portray Ybor as a mixed-use neighborhood: not just an entertainment destination but a great place to live and work. Tony, HYNCA president, explains more in detail in the following letter (printed in the St. Pete Times). Joe Howden, one of our founding members also touches on the subject:
Unfortunately two decades ago the city of Tampa and many in the business community set Ybor City on a course for failure by declaring the area an "entertainment district." Establishing Ybor City as a drinking mall was supposed to bring the community back to life and allow it to thrive once again. But what those same leaders didn’t realize were the problems that would follow because of the homogeneity of the bar and nightclub oriented businesses.
Because of the term "entertainment district" and what the proliferation of unchecked wet zoning has brought, many citizens and businesses can’t afford or are afraid to move to the area. Today Ybor City lacks a truly mixed-use commercial and residential community due to the "entertainment" stigma that exists. Many buildings have been converted into large nightclubs that threaten the structures themselves and destroy historic storefronts and facades. Many structures are in a state of disrepair, and no thanks to urban renewal in the 1960s, vacant lots still continue to make up a very large part of Ybor City.
The next step in the redevelopment of Ybor City is to correct where our leaders went wrong and put an end to classifying the area as an "entertainment district." The city of Tampa, the business community and media must realize that Ybor City is first and foremost a National Historic Landmark District. One of only three in Florida. The history and heritage of the area must be preserved and returned to what it used to be, a mixed-use community.
Ybor City is a community in constant transition, still trying to find itself in a modern world. We insist that the city, business community and media realize the treasure that exists and finally give Ybor City the respect that such an esteemed Historic Landmark District designation deserves, thus allowing Ybor City to move forward into the future as it was in the past, as a thriving mixed-use community.
Tony LaColla, president, Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association, Tampa
Dispell the stigma
As a longtime resident of Ybor City, I agree wholeheartedly with the opinions expressed in this editorial. But the problems go beyond two nuisance clubs and the solutions go beyond those offered. Yes, the city should explore being as tough and as stringent on entertainment venues as legally allowed.
Enforcement should be rigorous. After all, those who will perform responsibly in our neighborhood and meet the standards set for them will succeed as viable businesses, and those who don’t will depart. Should any one entity or group profit at the expense of an entire community?
I wonder if entertainment venues located on south Howard Avenue performed in this fashion with guns and shootings spilling over into New Suburb Beautiful (as it has in my neighborhood) would it be tolerated for very long, if at all? Why is it happening in Ybor City?
Perception is reality. The responsibility falls on our city government for conducting a 15-year experiment in which they have used the label "entertainment district, " where radically indulgent, overly dense wet zoning was permitted. That experiment has failed. It has now become a toxic stigma, a reason bad things happen here. It’s become an excuse. It limits us. And how will a critically needed residential base continue to grow while held down by this negative "branding" and the crime that is associated with it?
Ybor City’s only real definition is as a federally recognized Historic Landmark District. It is the wellspring of Tampa’s history, culture and architectural heritage. This accurate definition allows for Ybor City to be all that it can be. As for development and business, heritage tourism is a much greater moneymaker than being a "beer zone." Everyone who visits Paris wants to see the Eiffel Tower. Ybor City’s only hope for a sustainable future where businesses will flourish and residents will thrive is to adopt a course of action that puts Ybor City officially back on track as a mixed-use historic district and for it to be defined as such by the city of Tampa, the police and the media.
Once these changes are made, I predict that clubs and the crimes associated with them will not be the problem they are today.
Joe Howden, Tampa
