6 Tampa parks, community centers, pools remain closed after hurricanes cause extensive damages

Yahoo

18-03-2025

The Brief
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and other city officials said crews are working hard to reopen parks, pools and community centers damaged by Helene and Milton.
The latest to reopen was DeSoto Park Community Center, which needed its entire HVAC system replaced after the hurricanes.
So far, six parks, community center and pools remain closed, but officials hopes they can be reopened by this summer.
TAMPA, Fla. - With many Tampa parents planning for spring break and summer, Mayor Jane Castor and other city officials said crews are working hard to reopen parks, pools and community centers damaged by the hurricanes last Fall.
Tampa Parks and Recreation reopened the DeSoto Park Community Center on Monday. The entire HVAC system had to be replaced due to storm damage.
READ: 98-year-old among hurricane victims struggling 6 months after storms
By the numbers
With around 200 parks and community centers in the city, Castor said repair and clean-up efforts have been expensive.
"We estimate close to $10 million in damages to the actual centers," said Castor at a Monday morning news conference.
What they're saying
The mayor said the Kwane Doster Community Center in Port Tampa is expected to reopen by the end of this week, but not the Roy Jenkins Pool on Davis Islands. The facility is old and sustained extensive damage.
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The iconic Ballast Point Pier was heavily damaged and is closed while engineers and city leaders take a close look at how to fix and reopen it.
"The assessments we have received say it needs to be rebuilt and that means a great deal of time and funding," said Castor.
Dig deeper
At Ballast Point, the fitness center also remains closed, but the playgrounds and Leon's Lobstah Shack at the park are open. The Freedman Tennis Complex and Bobby Hicks Pool are also open. The mayor said six parks, community centers and pools remain closed, but she hopes they can be reopened by this summer.
MORE: One of Treasure Island's major parking lots remains closed as spring break season gets underway
Castor said Hurricanes Helene and Milton made for the most expensive disaster ever in Tampa. She used a familiar piece of the city's skyline to illustrate how much debris was collected.
"Most people know the Beer Can Building downtown, Rivergate Tower. We picked up enough debris to fill that four times over," the mayor said.
The Source
The information in this story was gathered during a news conference with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and other city officials.
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