$35M community center opens in east Tampa

East Tampa’s highly anticipated senior center and recreation complex has opened its doors. 

City of Tampa leadership and community members held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the long-awaited opening of the Fair Oaks Community Center — a $34.7 million, state-of-the-art facility that’s one of the largest projects the Parks and Recreation Department has ever undertaken, according to a release. 

For years, East Tampa residents have voiced their concerns to city council members and community leaders about much needed improvements to the former community center.

Those requests have now come to life in a 33,055-square -foot community center packed with amenities, including computer labs, a teaching kitchen, weight rooms, basketball courts, a recording studio and numerous multipurpose spaces with dedicated space for seniors. 

The building, now Tampa’s largest recreation center, is also equipped with solar panels. 

“What a gift it is to be able to welcome East Tampa community members to their new recreation center, right in time for the holidays," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says in the release. "Tampa's recreation centers are among my favorite places, and although this facility blows it out of the park with its many features and amenities, the intangible benefits that happen inside are what make them worthwhile. This is where lifetime friendships are formed, where advice is shared, and where comfort and safety can be found."

The recreation center is only part of a larger Fair Oaks development, which features 1.5 miles of walking trails, a football field and an all-inclusive playground. Once completed, the full East Tampa Recreation Complex will cover 10.25 acres and include an outdoor basketball court, two outdoor pickleball courts, a multipurpose sports field and children’s splash pad. 

At the center of the site, the Herbert D. Carrington Sr. Community Lake will get a lighted aerator and a lookout pier with shaded structures, the release says. Construction on the full recreation complex is on track to be completed by Spring 2026. 

Castor, Tampa council members, Skanska representatives, and dozens of neighbors attended the ceremonial groundbreaking. The project was made possible by a $34 million investment championed by late Tampa City Councilwoman Gwen Henderson, who died earlier this year.