Mayor Jane Castor renames Tampa River Center after Bob Buckhorn
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor on Wednesday renamed the Tampa River Center at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park after Bob Buckhorn, who led the city for eight years and is a likely frontrunner in the 2027 mayoral race.
The newly minted Bob Buckhorn River Center sits on the 25-acre park in northwest downtown Tampa, overlooking the Hillsborough River. Castor told a crowd of attendees Wednesday morning that in the last year, the center has hosted more than 200 events and generated more than $600,000 in revenue.
Activities at the River Center and park run the gambit, from weddings to children's summer camps. The park is named after former Tampa Mayor Julian B. Lane, who led the city during desegregation.
Development along the Hillsborough River was decades in the making and a priority for Buckhorn.
While in office from 2011-2019, Buckhorn, a Democrat, lobbied for a federal grant to complete the Riverwalk — which he told the Tampa Bay Times in 2019 was his best accomplishment in office.
Buckhorn oversaw a boom in downtown development and streamlined the city's permitting process. He hasn't made an official bid for office, but there is strong speculation he will seek another term.
'This facility is near and dear to me, as it is to a lot of people in this community,' Buckhorn said Wednesday. 'I think it is symbolic of the amazing transformation that we find ourselves in right now.'
Tampa has a tradition of honoring mayors once they're out of office by naming something in the city after them.
Castor said Buckhorn's 'fingerprints are everywhere' in Tampa and also proclaimed June 25, 2025 as Bob Buckhorn River Center Day.
'People will talk about Tampa being on the map,' Castor said, 'but, really, Bob was the one that put us there.'
During his speech, Buckhorn celebrated development that has come from the Riverwalk, particularly for its effect on the West Tampa area.
He recognized the additional affordable housing units that have been built and a new Publix that is opening later this year.
The neighborhood's value increased from $275 million in 2015 to now more than $1 billion, Buckhorn said.
Buckhorn's wife, one of his daughters, Grace, and mother also attended the ceremony.
'We've got more to do,' Buckhorn said. 'Now, let's get it done.'
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