This video story produced and reported by Courtney Patterson. Web editing by Hanalyse Loboda.
The historic Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa was founded in 1886 but has recently been named as a hotspot for investors.
With its strong Latin presence, Ybor City was named the “cigar capital of the world,” back in 1990. Since then, it has been mainly known for its nightlife. Over the past several years however, Ybor City has been rapidly expanding with new businesses, hotels and Latin-inspired restaurants.
Most of the big developments in Ybor City started at the beginning of COVID-19 and are now opening to the public, with plans to expand 50 acres in the future.
The biggest new investment to Ybor is the $52 million boutique hotel, Hotel Haya that recently opened in the downtown area. New restaurants such as Casa Santos Stefano, and a new cigar factory have also made their grand opening.
Although Ybor is expanding, the history and culture the city holds will continue to be heavily incorporated in the future projects.
Businesses in the Tampa Bay area have also been relocating to Ybor City. This is transitioning the neighborhood from being known only for their nightlife, to now having individuals occupy it during the daytime for work. This continues to attract the constant flow of people in and out of the area
Despite all the new developments happening in the area, the president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, Santiago Corrada states that “diversity, equity, and inclusion, are highlighted in all things Ybor city,” and this will continue to be their focus.
The marketing for Ybor city has also expanded as they are marketing not only domestically, but also marketing to a global audience in areas such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Italy.
This is only the beginning of the expansion for Ybor, as Corrada says, “The sky is the limit for this uniquely different destination.”
