(Taken from Spectrum News Bay News 9)
More than a century after it first opened, the Sanchez y Haya building in Ybor City is being carefully restored — blending historic preservation with new life for the community it once served.
The $18 million project, led by Tampa’s oldest cigar factory, J.C. Newman Cigar Company, launched in 2023 and is now about six months away from its anticipated grand opening around Thanksgiving.
Once a vibrant neighborhood staple, the building housed a dive bar, grocery store, and boarding house, serving generations during Tampa’s cigar industry boom.
Today, that same history is guiding its transformation.
“We are putting all of the historic elements back into the building," said Drew Newman. “Our hope is that when we finish the restoration that it will look and feel like just like it did in 1910.”
Using archival photos and historical records, developers are working to recreate the building’s original character — down to its materials and design.
For Newman, a fourth-generation member of the Newman family, the project has become as much about people as it is about preservation.
“I love it. It's great," said Newman. "We've had so many people come here as well, not family members, but people who came here and just seniors who remember eating here and dining here and growing grocery shopping here and staying upstairs. And they've just filled filled us with stories. But this building was like in its character and its history. It's really helped us to kind of really embrace the history of this building so that we can just return to the way it was.“
Plans for the space include a full-service restaurant and a small hotel on the second floor, bringing the building back to its original purpose as a place to gather, dine, and stay.
But restoring a structure this old hasn’t come easy.
“It was in really rough shape," Newman said. “You see here all the concrete in the ceilings was just exposed rebar because it's all falling out and there's all this debris everywhere.”
Crews have been working meticulously — repairing brick, restoring mortar, and preserving original features by hand to meet strict historic preservation standards. The building itself holds architectural significance as one of Tampa’s earliest concrete structures.
“You can see we were at work trying to repair the brick, restore the mortar, using the original color and texture," Newman added.
The process has required a careful balance: bringing the building up to modern code while maintaining its historic integrity.
Its location in Ybor City is also key to its future success.
“You've got the historic factory right across all the way to the end, which we can kind of navigate to if you want. You can see downtown Tampa, a great view of downtown Tampa, a view of cigar workers park," Newman said.
Beyond preservation, the project is expected to create new opportunities in the area — bringing both economic impact and renewed attention to this part of East Tampa.
“We think that our neighborhood deserves in our community deserves nice things, too. And we're excited to have another reason to bring visitors to our part of Tampa," said Newman.
Developers say the project will create about 80 jobs, with recruitment efforts already beginning.
“Part of our commitment was making sure this project benefited the community. We are starting to plan the recruitment process," he said.
The history of the site runs deep. The first cigar in Tampa was rolled nearly 140 years ago by Sanchez y Haya, helping lay the foundation for an industry that transformed the city.
Now, that legacy is being rediscovered in new ways.
“We are uncovering more things about our family history because this building is a building that we inherited," said Newman. "But, what is amazing is that we have located a number of descendants of the original Sanchez family that built this building, and they have come to us with old family photos and records and stories. And so we get to tell and share their stories and preserve that part of the history.”
Those connections are shaping the restoration — ensuring the building’s story is preserved not just in its structure, but in the people and memories tied to it.
As the countdown to opening continues, the Sanchez y Haya building stands as both a restoration project and a revival—honoring Tampa’s past while creating a space for its future.
J.C. Newman continues to open its doors to the public, offering tours throughout the week and inviting visitors to step back in time and experience a craft that helped build Tampa.
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