Tampa HPC redesignates bungalow relocated to 1318 E. 15th Ave as contributing to Ybor City Historic District

The Tampa Historic Preservation Commission on Sept. 16 voted to redesignate a bungalow relocated from 1306 East 14th Avenue to 1318 East 15th Avenue as a contributing resource to the Ybor City Historic District.

Elaine Lund, historic preservation staff, told the commission the structure was moved in 2023 after the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) acquired its original lot for the I-275/I‑4 interchange improvements. "The building was located at 1306 East Fourteenth Avenue on land owned by the Florida Department of Transportation," Lund said. "Upon relocation, a contributing property must be considered for redesignation at its new site." Staff recommended approval, concluding the house "meets the application criteria of section 27‑261(b) and the criteria found in National Register Bulletin 15."

John Dingfelder, the applicant and owner, told the commission that he and his wife purchased and relocated the bungalow to save it from demolition. "This project's been a labor of love," Dingfelder said. He described aligning the porch height and setback with the adjacent house so the relocated building would read as if it had always been on that parcel.

The commission discussed documentary evidence including a 1915 Sanborn Company map showing the building at its original Fourteenth Avenue site and aerial photos of the relocation and current setting. Staff noted the structure was built within Ybor City’s period of significance (1886–1940) and retains architectural characteristics typical of bungalow worker housing in the district, despite some alterations during or after the move: "The porch and the foundation had to be reconstructed as well," Lund said, and staff reported recent re‑roofing and repainting.

Following discussion, a commissioner moved to approve redesignation, citing National Register Bulletin 15 criterion C (architecture) and proposing to include criterion A (events) as relevant; the motion was seconded and passed with a recorded outcome of 4 in favor and 1 opposed. The commission then voted to amend the Ybor City Historic District building inventory and map to add the structure; that amendment was approved by voice vote.

The record shows the relocation originally resulted from FDOT’s right‑of‑way acquisition tied to the I‑4/I‑275 interchange project. Staff said the project originated in the Section 106 mitigation process required under the National Historic Preservation Act; earlier tiers of mitigation involved relocation, rehabilitation and resale, and some buildings that were not part of early tiers were offered to the public for relocation or demolition.

The commission’s action is administrative: it redesignated the relocated building as "contributing" to the locally designated Ybor City Historic District and amended the district inventory and map. The vote does not alter building permits or other approvals the owner must obtain. The applicant and staff confirmed the owner supports the redesignation.

Case: HPC250000012 — Redesignation of a relocated contributing structure (1306 E. 14th Ave → 1318 E. 15th Ave).