Ybor City’s 7th Avenue Honored as One of Nation’s Top 10 Great Streets
On November 12, a celebration was held on 7th Avenue to recognize the designation. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, Tampa City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena, and Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association President Tony LaColla, AICP and others were on hand to receive recognition from APA President and Planning Commission Executive Director Robert B. Hunter, FAICP.
A street marker is unveiled commemorating the Great Street designation.
In October the American Planning Association (APA) recognized 7th Avenue as one of the 10 Great Streets in America for 2008 through APA's Great Places in America program. APA has singled out 7th Avenue as a Great Street in America for its history, distinctive character, and strong community engagement.
"Seventh Avenue provides both visitors and residents the opportunity to enjoy the rich and diverse history of Ybor City while experiencing one of Tampa’s most prominent entertainment and cultural destinations,” said Mayor Pam Iorio.
The APA Great Places program recognizes locations that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. They are enjoyable, safe, and desirable. They are places where people want to be – not only to visit, but also to live and work. America’s great streets are defined by many criteria, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement. Through Great Places in America, APA recognizes unique and authentic characteristics found in three essential components of all communities – streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces.
“We are excited to select 7th Avenue as one of this year’s great streets,” said APA Executive Director Paul Farmer, FAICP. “Historically, this street served as a melting pot of cultures. Desegregation was the practice here long before the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed” he said. “The unique architecture of the buildings fronting the street, and the community involvement that went into protecting this legacy shows what can be done when citizens, businesses, and government work together.”
APA President and Planning Commission Executive Director, Robert B. Hunter, FAICP said, “This award is given to only a small number of communities after a rigorous application and review process.” Hunter went on to say, “Ybor City is an important part of Tampa’s history. This designation will further emphasize how important it is to preserve our past. This is a very prestigious award and Tampa should be proud!”
The designation encompasses 11 blocks between 26th Street to the east and Nick Nuccio Parkway to the west. Seventh Avenue’s origins date to 1885 when Ybor City was known as the cigar manufacturing capital of the world, a reference that remained accurate through the late 1950’s. More than 230 factories were located in and around Ybor City, and at the heart of it all was 7th Avenue.
Spanish, Cuban, Italian, African, German, Jewish and other immigrants arrived at the end of the 19th Century and beginning of 20th Century creating strong social networks and clubs along the street. Seventh Avenue and its colorful heritage were almost destroyed in the late 1950’s and 1960’s when 93 percent of Ybor City was bulldozed because of federal urban renewal efforts and interstate freeway construction. The community fought proposals that would have caused all of the original buildings to be leveled. In 1959 the Barrio Latino Commission (BLC) – Tampa’s first architectural review commission -- was created in order to protect the buildings and neighborhoods that remained.
The area’s tradition of civic participation and community involvement in planning and preservation has continued. The Ybor City Historic District Revitalization Plan, developed in 1983, led to millions of dollars in private investment along 7th Avenue.
The nine other APA 2008 Great Streets are: Broad Street (Philadelphia, PA), Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards (Arlington, VA), Commercial Street (Portland, ME), Main Street (Annapolis, MD), Mill Avenue (Tempe, AZ), South El Paso Street (El Paso, TX), Summit Avenue (St. Paul, MN), Washington Street (Boston, MA), West Main Street (Louisville, KY).
Great Places in America is APA’s flagship program celebrating places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. They represent the gold standard in terms of cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a sustainable vision for the future. The program reached 70 million people nationwide this year through various media coverage.
Additional details about each designee are available at www.planning.org/greatplaces/.
