For those of us who have been around a while, we can recall, less than fondly, what used to litter Kennedy Boulevard approaching downtown. Temporary work establishments, plasma centers, high-profile hookers of both genders. And in synergistic harmony, a certain, West Kennedy nude-dancing lounge, the Seven Seas, one of a number that came on line in Tampa in the 1970s and ’80s. No, this was not your grandparents’ Lafayette Street.
Over time, Kennedy has been evolving.
Temp outfits and plasma centers eventually gave way to offices and restaurants. The University of Tampa went on a building frenzy. Landscaping was added and redevelopment and infill standards were codified in the Kennedy Boulevard Corridor District. Tampa General Hospital will do a major 10-acre project that will include a rehab center and a hotel for day-surgery patients.
And yet.
There remained the seedy Seven Seas near MacDill Avenue. A constant reminder of Tampa’s sleazy reputation as the epicenter of lap dancing. Not exactly a chamber-of-commerce “gateway corridor” touch. Now it, too, is no more. Good, really good, riddance.
The 3,100-square-foot building has been leased and gutted by restaurateur Ryan Quinn, who will be opening the upscale Fire Bar and Grill in a few months. Ten-foot-tall mahogany doors are in, metal stripper poles are out. Should make a nice culinary complement to Miguel’s Mexican Cafe next door.
More to the point, it’s one fewer eyesore in our midst. And worth celebrating over a nice meal somewhere on West Kennedy Boulevard.