VM Ybor and Ybor Heights are some of the most historic neighborhoods in Tampa. Originally built to house the cigar workers in Ybor City during the late 19th century. VM Ybor a National Historic Landmark District and now part of the local historic district Barrio Latino, was settled soon after Ybor City was founded in 1885 by Vicente Martinez Ybor, the Spanish cigar manufacturer who founded Ybor City. The neighborhood was, and continues to be a very diverse and dynamic neighborhood located close to entertainment, the downtown and Channelside Districts. A major residential and commercial development project has recently been announced which will integrate this historic area with the new infrastructure of the City of Tampa!