Tampa’s oldest cigar factory is also leading the historic preservation efforts for the Sanchez y Haya building in Ybor City. Since the $18 million project launched in 2023, work continues to revitalize the cigar factory.
“Our goal is to make sure it feels and looks just like it did 100 years ago,” said Drew Newman, part of the fourth generation in his family’s cigar business.
Sanchez y Haya was once a thriving dive bar, grocery store and boarding house. Newman says that while the project is nearly a year behind schedule, the final outcome will make it worthwhile.
“Cause cigars are to Tampa, what wine is to Napa Valley, and what cars are to Detroit,” said Drew Newman.
Newman says that investing in the Sanchez y Haya building ensures the tradition that built this community won’t be forgotten.
So far, the Newmans have received $600,000 from the Hillsborough County Historic Preservation Challenge Grant. They also secured $2.3 million in preliminary funding from the National Park Service. On February 4, the company made a special project grant request for $5 million from the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency.
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