Designed as a Creative Office + Studio Collective, the project is located in the heart of Ybor City’s historic warehouse district, coined The Citrus Factory the project reimagines a 1930s industrial building as a vibrant center for creative work. It celebrates the building’s industrial character while introducing flexible work environments tailored for artists, designers, and small businesses alike.

Open, light-filled spaces and exposed structural details recall the building’s manufacturing past while supporting contemporary uses, from private studios and collaborative offices to gallery-style community areas. The design balances preservation with renewal, transforming a former distribution warehouse into a modern creative hub that connects Ybor’s cultural legacy with its ongoing urban revitalization.

History

Constructed in the late 1930s, the building at 1728 East 2nd Avenue emerged during a period of industrial growth in Tampa’s Ybor City. The property was acquired through a City of Tampa sale in 1939, with aerial photographs from 1938 indicating early site activity.

By 1943, the structure was fully operational and contributed to Ybor City’s expanding industrial corridor, an area that supplied materials and services to Tampa’s mid-century economy. Its concrete block construction distinguished it from the older wood-frame warehouses common to the era, marking a transition toward more durable and fire-resistant industrial buildings.