Author: Richard McIntyre

August 2024 Meeting On August 27, 2024, Ybor Merchant’s Association met at the Dirty Shame at 6pm, immediately after the CRA Advisory Board Meeting. For now the plan is to continue meeting on the last Tuesday of every month at 6pm at Dirty Shame. This meeting was mostly a social kickoff. Going forward we will likely use the meeting room upstairs to discuss the issues we need to address. Annual Meeting / Officers & Directors A few weeks earlier the YMA met to elect its officers and directors, they are: Tom DeGeorge, Crow Bar, President & Director Ken Foutch, Coppertail…

Julius Caeser Newman was born in Austria in 1875. He immigrated to the United States 1888 through Baltimore. As he didn’t have a middle name, the immigration officer chose one for him, making him Julius Caeser Newman. The Roman emperor spelled it Caesar. In the late 1800s, difficult economic conditions in Europe and the high demand for industrial labor in the United States resulted in mass migration to cities in the north east. Companies employed agents to encourage European workers to move and chartered steam ships to bring them here. It was common to settle where your fellow countrymen were…

Chris Lenahan got his start in the night club business in 1996 providing lighting and sound for the casinos and night clubs in Las Vegas. A few years later he began opening night clubs in Tempe, Arizona. Ultimately, he sold everything, and retired, moving to a small village north of Saigon for a few years. Like most ambitious people who retire prematurely, Chris decided to come back. In 2006 he decided to move to Portland, where he had gone to college, and started opening clubs in the Old Town / China Town area. Using an approach that has become his…

Until recently, the inventory of available rental units in Ybor City has been relatively limited. This summer three new apartment buildings are opening offering 621 new units. La Union. Named after Sociedad La Union Marti-Maceo, and Afro-Cuban mutual aid society, the first phase of the Gasworx development, La Union offers 317 units, studio to 3 bedroom, ranging in price from $1,800 to $3,600 per month. Amenities include a pool, two-story fitness center, rooftop terrace, co-work studio, and more. Pre-leasing available now. Casa Marti. This 127 unit development from Casa Ybor is taking reservations for summer move in. Units include a…

In 2006 two music venues died and one was born.  Tom DeGeorge worked at the CrowBar in State College, Pennsylvania while attending Penn State in the 90’s, starting as a doorman and ending as floor manager.  He moved on to the Masquerade in Atlanta and ultimately took over as general manager of the Masquerade at the Ritz Theater in Ybor City.  In 2006, both music venues closed, and as an homage to the State College venue, he opened the Crow Bar in Ybor, where it has become an institution.  He plans to close on its 20th anniversary in 2026. Influenced…

Barrio Tacos, the successor to La Tropicana, has big shoes to fill in Ybor City. This is the Sacred Heart, a handmade, stained glass, piece of art designed to embody Barrio Taco’s aspirational goal of becoming the community bar of Ybor City. Consistent with this theme, a mural, continuing through the interior of the establishment, tells the story of a couple who meet at the bar and chronicles significant events during their life together in Ybor. The mural intricately weaves in Ybor historical elements and includes various “Easter Eggs” (hidden images), depicting random things some of which nod to Barrio’s…

JDubs Brewing Company was founded in Sarasota, Florida, in 2013 by Jeremy Joerger and Ron Petrini. The brewery quickly gained popularity in the local craft beer scene for its innovative and unique offerings. JDubs Brewing Company produces high-quality craft beers and uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Over the years, JDubs Brewing Company expanded its distribution to other regions of Florida and beyond, becoming a well-known name in the craft beer industry. The brewery gained a loyal following of beer enthusiasts who appreciated the company’s dedication to producing top-notch beers. JDubs Brewing Company continued to grow and innovate, releasing new…

Over 10 years ago, the City of Tampa adopted Ordinance 27-178 governing public and private parking lots.  According to the Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association, the city is not enforcing the ordinance. Specifically, Section 27-178(c)(1) requires any public or private parking lot operator to have at least one employee on duty on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 pm until the last car leaves or 4 am, whichever is earlier. Last year, Tampa Code Enforcement visited every parking lot in Ybor City to ensure that the lots were operating according to code and to bring non-compliant lots into compliance.  The…