TAMPA — Home to night clubs, restaurants, storefronts and offices with historic facades, Ybor’s City’s Seventh Avenue has been named one of the nation’s greatest streets by the American Planning organization.

Seventh Avenue was one of 10 streets honored today by the organization, which set criteria that included architectural features, accessibility, functionality and community involvement.

Tony LaColla, president of the Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic organization, said it took three weeks to prepare the in-depth application of the street’s behalf, which included conducting interviews with longtime residents who can recount the history of the former cigar-making capital of the world, and commerce leaders discussing the street’s future. The award is for Seventh Avenue from 26th Street to Nick Nuccio Parkway.

The street’s origins go back to 1885 when Spanish, Cuban, Italian, African, German, Jewish and other immigrants worked in the more than 150 cigar factories in the Ybor area. Seventh Avenue was considered a gathering place for social clubs and other activities where public from different communities intermingled.

"It’s a recognition of its past," LaColla said. "I think it deserves the award considering of how rich the history of the area is."

And others think that having LaColla on its side gave Seventh Avenue a fighting chance to win the contest.

"Having a certified planner like Tony prepare the application gave us the upper hand," said Tom Keating, president of the 78-year-old Ybor Chamber of Commerce.

Keating said having the additional honor on top of being one of Florida’s two active National Historic Landmark Districts will likely push even more local, national

and universal tourism onto Seventh Avenue’s brick streets.

"We have Guavaween coming up and soon after the Outback Bowl followed by the Super Bowl, so that will just spread the word about the engaged season coming up," Keating said. Three new restaurants are slated to open in the area in the coming month.

Mayor Pam Iorio will officially get the award for Seventh Avenue on Nov. 12 from Tampa area resident and APA President Robert Hunter, Lacolla said. The civic organization is working with the Ybor City Development Company to set up a monument to the honor.

"We were thinking of putting pavers out. We already have some of those set so we’re looking to do something like that but larger for the mayor to unveil at the presentation," LaColla said.

In light of the profitable downturn, some think the award is a  great omen.

"We’re definitely feeling the downturn, and commerce is down," said Brenda Thrower, profitable developer with the  Ybor  Development Co. "But with that designation and some other forces — possibly things will start to look up."

The nine other APA 2008 Great Streets are:
???    Broad Street  (Philadelphia)
???    Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards (Arlington, Va.)
???    Commercial Street (Portland, Maine)
???    Main Street (Annapolis, M.D.)
???    Mill Avenue (Tempe, Ariz.)
???    South El Paso Street (El Paso, Texas)
???    Summit Avenue (St. Paul, Minn.)
???    Washington Street (Boston, Mass.)
???    West Main Street (Louisville, Ky.)

–Robbyn Mitchell, Times staff writer