Tampa firefighters douse a fire in an antiques and furniture warehouse at the corner of 22nd Street and 7th Avenue in Ybor City. KELVIN MA/The Tampa Tribune

By Janis D. Froelich
The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA - With the dump trucks in place to haul away debris, two Tampa City Council members showed up across the street from the fire destroyed Ybor City antiques store and negotiated a 72 hour reprieve for the building.

Mary Alvarez and Linda Saul-Sena made numerous telephone calls after conferring with a handful of local preservationists on the scene. The result was the building’s owner, Andre D. Callen, OK’d not obtaining a permit to demolish the structure at 2201 E. Seventh Ave.

Saul-Sena relayed the news after speaking with Callen on the phone. What this means, said Saul-Sena, is those who wish to save the façade or other parts of the building have 72 hours to come up with a plan. If a plan can’t be approved by that time then Callen would have to pull a permit for the structure’s bulldozing.

“We need a little more time,” said Saul-Sena, “to save this amazing façade.”

The building, which housed an antique furniture warehouse, was consumed in flames over the weekend. Investigators are still trying to figure out what sparked the five-alarm blaze.

News Channel 8 photographer Paul Lamison contributed to this report.

Stay with TBO.com for developments.

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