Scozarri Brothers Building facade under construction. 2025. © Chip Weiner

This is what complex preservation looks like.
Charlie Garber of 701 Garber Investment is rehabilitating the 120-year-old Scozzari Brothers Building at 1901 7th Ave. He could have funneled money into something easier, but instead chose to invest in Ybor City’s future by respecting its past out of love for the area. The building's most celebrated tenant was La Tropicana Café, owned by “Cowboy” Ippolito in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the city condemned the building and slated it for demolition; however, it was saved from the wrecking ball and subsequently placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Preserving this structure wasn’t simple—it required bracing the walls with steel beams to build carefully around them. That kind of effort is expensive, complicated, and rare, but it’s precisely what stewardship of history demands.

It’s also what others should have done. The Kolter Group, for example, demolished the former Tarr Furniture building downtown amid community objections, promising a facsimile of its historic façade when they build their new tower, because saving it was deemed too expensive. Yet, their Tampa One project will feature 225 luxury residences across 42 stories, with units listed at a median price of $1.8 million. The money to save it was there. The will was not. The building was not on a list of historic preservation, so they were free to do as they pleased.

A similar problem looms for the Kress block at 800 Franklin Street, but that structure was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on April 7, 1983. That designation both complicates redevelopment and protects one of Tampa’s most significant landmarks. The Wilson Company, which purchased the block in 2017, has demonstrated a strong preservation record with projects such as the Exchange Bank and tower. The hope is that their approach will reflect the respect that the site deserves, and the block will maintain its historic features.

Back in Ybor, the Scozzari Brothers’ plans embrace both preservation and progress: a three-story replacement for the old two-story, a rooftop bar, beautiful interior detailing, and a mezzanine overlooking the first floor. Balconies will be rebuilt, but most importantly, the original character and facade of the century-old building will remain for generations to enjoy.

This is the model. It’s preservation with vision. It proves that conservation and preservation do not inhibit progress.

Preserving The Past the Right Way—Lessons from the Scozzari Brothers Building

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