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Downtown To Get Historic Makeover

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By NICOLA M. WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 8, 2007

ZEPHYRHILLS - When Joe Abed opened Manolo's Italian Restaurant five years ago, he spent two months buffing and sanding the floors, scrubbing off a quarter-inch layer of tar that hid the old hardwood.

'I went through a lot of sand belts to clean those floors and bring them back to life,' Abed said.

The elbow grease paid off: The floors of the historic downtown's only sit-down eatery gleam.

But that's not the end of the makeover for the 1920s storefront.

Thanks to a state-administered federal grant, Abed and six other downtown businesses have a chance to restore the looks of their buildings. The grants will cover things such as awnings, windows, doors and Ybor City-style balconies.

The idea is to make the downtown district aesthetically pleasing as a way to draw more shoppers and revenue to the area.

'It's certainly not the cure-all of downtown revitalization, but it's just another line that's being crossed,' said Todd Vande Berg, the city's director of development services.

In recent years, as the northern edge of Zephyrhills boomed with big-box retail outlets, city officials and business leaders tried to promote interest in the mom-and-pop businesses that make up the heart of downtown. In the late 1990s, the city embarked on a streetscape program that brought brick-paved sidewalks, decorative lampposts and palm trees to the district.

Spending about $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to restore historic business facades will further that effort, Vande Berg said.

'It assists the property owners, but we feel like it assists the city, too,' he said.

The businesses slated to get makeovers are Knight's Kove video arcade, The Scrub Shop, Computer Sales & Services, Art & Pat's Antiques, Goin' Postal, Main Street Fitness and Manolo's Restaurant. Those businesses are in buildings owned by three owners.

Each of the owners will receive grants from $20,000 to $40,000 to upgrade their facilities. The owner pays a 10 percent match. The remaining renovation costs are expected to be funded through Community Redevelopment Agency money.

Art and Pat Besinger, who own Art & Pat's Antiques and the adjoining building that houses Goin' Postal, plan to erect a balcony over the store fronts. When Fifth Avenue was unpaved, the building had a balcony.

Same goes for Manolo's Restaurant, which in a past life was an Army-Navy store. An architect showed Abed renderings and it reminded him of Ybor City's Seventh Avenue, Abed said.

'I'm looking forward to sitting on the balcony and enjoying myself, especially during the parades and whatnot,' he said.

The Zephyrhills City Council is expected to put the final stamp on the facade improvement project at tonight's city council meeting at 6 p.m. at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St.

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com.

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