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Neighborhood Report

Old house could become meeting, eating spot

A baker and a Realtor envision a restaurant in a home near Interbay and West Shore, an idea the neighborhood finds extremely appetizing.

By SHERRI DAY
Published April 7, 2006

Meeting someone for a cup of coffee or a meal in Port Tampa takes ingenuity. There's a Circle K, a general store and little else.

But if a bakery executive and a Realtor have their way, gustatory options may soon multiply.

Raymond More, the president of La Segunda Bakery in Ybor City, plans to open a restaurant on Port Tampa's main drag. More bought a Victorian house at 6829 Fitzgerald St., near the corner of Interbay and West Shore boulevards, in mid March. The house has an expansive garden, easy access to the Spanish American War Memorial and a rich history.

Built in 1893, it was once called the Lester House, named after Port Tampa City's first fire marshal.

The building's architecture initially attracted More, who enjoys restoring houses. He had planned to rehabilitate the house for residential use. But his Realtor, Shari Stone, insisted that he engage in more savory endeavors.

"I can see everybody sitting outside with tables and coffee," she said. "I think it would revitalize the neighborhood and get everybody down there. There's no restaurants to speak of, and the area could really use something like this."

More, who has toyed with the idea of opening a restaurant for more than five years, envisions serving pastries from his bakery, cafe con leche and maybe hearty slabs of beef.

"My idea would be to go into a very good steak restaurant," he said. "The main thing for me is, it's got to be a good restaurant."

Both More and Stone are quick to point out that their ideas are only preliminary. The house needs a lot of work, including new walls, bathrooms and, if restaurant plans take off, an industrial kitchen.

The potential restaurateurs would also have to choose operating hours and a cuisine. Stone wants to create an outdoor dining patio and decorate the home's interior with photographs of historic Port Tampa City, which became part of Tampa in 1961.

The pair plan to call the restaurant 1893 in honor of the year the house was built.

First, More and Stone want the neighborhood's support. They are scheduled to present their proposal to the Civic Association of Port Tampa City on April 25.

So far, support seems imminent.

"Initially, there is a tremendous amount of excitement to have a place where we can meet over a cup of coffee," said Jill Buford, the association's president. "I think it's a step in the right direction for Port Tampa's development. We need commercial development to make us sustainable."

But neighborhood endorsement may not be enough.

More and Stone also would need permission to lease city-owned land next to the house for parking. The site formerly housed Port Tampa's City Hall and, later, the neighborhood's library. Last week, city workers demolished the building, which had mold and asbestos damage.

Cyndy Miller, director of the city's Department of Business and Housing Development, said city officials have no plans for the property but are exploring potential government uses. Depending on the outcome, they will likely consider requests from outsiders, Miller said.

Even if More and Stone secure parking, they would have to persuade the City Council to rezone the property for commercial use.

"This is such a preliminary thing that I would hate to disappoint people," Stone said. But "we're really pumped."

Sherri Day can be reached at sday@sptimes.com or 226-3405.

[Last modified April 6, 2006, 14:43:13]