If you're drawn to local folklore and urban legends, the story of the Trelles Clinic building will be intriguing. It's a place where healing met mystery, mixed with scandal, and tales of the paranormal.

In 1924, Dr. Jorge A. Trelles and his first wife, Pura Riera—both originally from Matanzas, Cuba—opened a medical clinic that quickly gained a reputation for excellence. A skilled surgeon, Trelles earned the trust of Tampa’s Latin community, and word of his talents spread fast.

But success didn’t come without scandal. Trelles sparked controversy when he began a relationship with a teenage girl named Conchita. Despite the deep cultural stigma surrounding divorce, he left his wife and five daughters to be with her—and eventually married her. Community members warned that his reputation would suffer and that patients would turn their backs on him. Trelles, unbothered, reportedly replied: “As soon as they need surgery, they'll be back.” He wasn’t wrong.

The building that would eventually house Dr. Trelles’s clinic—located at 1508 8th Avenue—began its life as a coffee warehouse in 1904. When Trelles and Conchita took over the second floor, they set up a modest medical office with a small surgical suite. Though she had no formal training, Conchita became an indispensable part of the operation—first as his assistant, then as a surgical nurse. According to local lore, she was the one truly running the clinic.

As the practice flourished, they expanded to occupy the entire building, adding exam rooms, surgical facilities, and 15 inpatient beds. The clinic operated under a mutual aid model, offering comprehensive “cradle to grave” care for just $1 per week. Services included surgery, X-rays, childbirth, prescriptions, and even dentistry—mirroring the offerings of community institutions like the Cuban Club, Centro Asturiano, and the Italian Club.

Years later, as recounted in Dr. Ferdie Pacheco’s Ybor City Chronicles, a 19-year-old secretary joined the clinic. She was married to a Cuban man and had one child—but caught the attention of Dr. Trelles, now aging and in poor health. Their relationship deepened, leading to Trelles divorcing Conchita while the young woman left her husband. Conchita, who had no medical license or formal credentials, was suddenly out on the street.

By then, Dr. Trelles was reportedly suffering from diabetes and in a weakened state. Whispers circulated that the young woman and her ex-husband had conspired to seize control of the clinic. Though unverified, some say that in a diabetic stupor, Trelles signed over the practice to them.

In 1955, newspapers reported that Dr. Trelles had been shot, presumably by Conchita. It turned out not to be true, but Conchita was arrested and booked on charges of drunk, disorderly conduct, carrying a concealed weapon, and trespassing on Trelles' property.

The young woman left the doctor when she found out he was going to lose his leg to the illness. Broken and sick, Conchita took him into her home and nursed him until his death in 1961. The clinic closed in May 1975. Conchita died in 1991. None of that ended the intrigue in the building.

The clinic sat empty for many years. Around 2009, records indicate it was sold for $557,000, remodeled, and opened as the Trelles Hotel. Months later, Vince Pawlowski and partner Fred Schwartz transformed it into the Ybor Resort and Spa, a hotel that catered exclusively to gay men. It featured a 50-man hot tub, 11 uniquely decorated hotel rooms, and a private men's club that charged an annual membership. It all came with assertions that the building was haunted. According to one account, it was the ghost of Conchita, while others claimed it was the spirits of the souls who had died in the clinic.  The TV show Ghost Hunters did a segment on it.

The spa was controversial. Even though it sat in the middle of the district that had become known as GayBor, some locals resented its existence. Owners were undeterred, going so far as to invite delegates from the 2012 Republican National Convention to visit.

The pair sold the building in February 2017. In March, a suspicious fire caused $100 l000 in damage and was ruled an arson. A week later, another arson fire caused further damage, leading to the building's demolition. In December 2017, police arrested 46-year-old Carroll Demoss, charging him with setting the fires. The former Trelles Clinic land now sits vacant, but its fantastic tale carries on.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved