PROJECT LOCATION: Ybor City, Florida PROJECT OWNER: Mr. Harris Mullen 1972, 1978, 1992, Mr. R. Blanchard, Jr. 1993, Doris Rumore PROJECT SIZE: CONSTRUCTION COST: $2,000,000 COMPLETION DATE: 1972, 1978, 1991, 1992 SERVICES PROVIDED: Full Architectural Services RELEVANCE: Historic Renovation, Award Winning, Adaptive, Structural Repairs
The V.M Ybor Cigar Factory and related structures, which are named for Tampa's pioneer cigarmaker, are at the very heart of Tampa's Latin Quarter. Due to Mr. McKenna's efforts in Ybor on projects for the Hillsborough Community College, he was commissioned to renovate this complex of historic structures. Restaurants, shops and professional offices are well blended to provide an unique urban mix of uses. As in all restoration projects, great care was taken to preserve and protect all significant historical elements. The respect for the existing historic fabric has produced numerous awards for the project from area preservation groups. Elements that are new are clearly new. One example is the exterior glass elevator that was added to increase the project's accessibility. It is carefully detailed to blend with the adjacent structure while providing an interesting contemporary accent.
