Last week, Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Tampa City Council Members Guido Maniscalco, Charlie Miranda, and Naya Young joined Eric, Bobby, and Drew Newman in a ceremonial groundbreaking celebrating the start of the final phase of the restoration of the Sanchez y Haya building across the street from J.C. Newman’s historic El Reloj cigar factory.
Constructed in 1910, the Sanchez y Haya building was the first commercial building in the City of Tampa built with reinforced concrete. It was a community hub for Ybor City, a place where cigar workers, neighbors, and visitors gathered to eat, drink, and sleep. A century ago, the first floor had a restaurant and bar and the second floor was a hotel. Sadly, this historic building was abandoned and neglected for decades and has been a great example of urban blight.
Following the best practices of historic preservation, J.C. Newman is working to restore this landmark to the way it was in 1910, with a restaurant and cigar lounge downstairs and a small hotel upstairs. When it reopens late next year, the building will look and feel like it did 115 years ago so that it can once again serve the community and celebrate Tampa’s history.
J.C. Newman says it is tremendously grateful for the City of Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency, Hillsborough County, State of Florida, and National Parks Service for supporting this project. It is a privilege to preserve this piece of Tampa’s cigar history so that it can stand and serve our community for another 115 years.
