June 10, 2024 7:25 pm Tampa’s old Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. building to be restored, get a new life
Tampa’s old Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. building to be restored, get a new life TAMPA — The Vicente Nieto and Bros. Cigar Factory turns 100 next year. But if Liana Fuente has her way, the building at 2708 N 18th St. won’t look a day over 70. Her grandfather, Carlos Fuente Sr. of the famous Fuente cigar family, purchased the Ybor City factory in 1956 and then expanded its size by around two-thirds so that his father and company founder and namesake, Arturo Fuente, could live on the second floor while employees rolled stogies on the first. Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. later sold it and moved into a larger building. Then, a year ago, Liana Fuente purchased the Vicente Nieto and Bros. Cigar Factory and is now working toward restoring the 7,000-square-foot structure while adopting it for modern use. “I see this as my gift to the city from my family,” Fuente, 44, said. “But I also really want to create a space that is supportive of women.” When completed, likely by next year, the first floor will be retail — a bar, a florist and event space, all women owned, Fuente said. The second floor will feature five apartments. The basement, for now, will be storage. “It’s going to...
