TAMPA, Fla. — The 7th Avenue archway lights in Ybor City are getting a makeover, and construction is underway and making progress.
Ken Melton has been around Ybor City all his life and is now the manager at Acropolis Greek Taverna on 7th Avenue.
Just steps away from the business and standing tall above the street are the iconic archway lights.
“All the stuff that’s iconic to Ybor City is kind of important, so we like to have the street rejuvenated and looking good,” said Melton.
As a part of the city’s economic development focus, those lights are getting a tune-up. The Ybor City CRA and the City of Tampa said the project will give an aesthetic rejuvenation to the lighted archways while using more environmentally sustainable lighting technology.
“I think they need to do it,” said Melton. “I think we’re losing history all around. We’re building everything up, so to preserve areas like this is really important."
Officials said project construction is on track and making progress, with work starting on the 1300 block Monday morning. That block is expected to take up to two weeks to finish.
Peg Brody is visiting from Atlanta and thinks the area has its own unique atmosphere.
“You see so many places that become homogenized, and they lose their, not influence, but their identity because it’s like we want it to be more of one thing or another,” said Brody. “That’s what’s so special about here. It’s kept the cigar factories. It’s kept some of the iconic restaurants.”
21 archways are planned, made of aluminum, 34 feet long, and with a “Y” medallion in the center.
“This is a beautiful area of Tampa, and I think it’s a treasure, so we need to do what we can to do to preserve it and make it better,” said Melton.
Officials anticipate the project to be finished in 2023.
