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City of Tampa Celebrates Construction Milestone at East Tampa Recreation Center

Mayor Jane Castor, Tampa City Council members, Skanska leadership, and passionate community members will celebrate the "topping out" of the new recreation center at the East Tampa Recreational Complex/Fair Oaks site.

This milestone marks the final installation of 270 pre-cast pieces, providing the structural frame and walls on the 33,055-square-foot state-of-the-art recreation center.

The 10.25-acre, $34.7-million redevelopment and expansion project, situated in the heart of East Tampa, includes the recreation center (with a dedicated space for seniors), a new turf athletic field, 1.5 miles of walking trails, two basketball courts and two pickleball courts. The complex also includes a fenced-in outdoor playground with an ADA-compliant swing and interactive splash pad. The new center will replace the current community center at Fair Oaks Park.

It will include a gymnasium, weight room, computer lab, maker space, music room, flex space, three multi-purpose rooms that can function as individual or multiple rooms, a billiards room, and an art room.

The groundbreaking at Fair Oaks was April 12 - just 201 days ago. The recreation center is estimated to be completed in Fall 2025, and the entire complex is anticipated to be completed in Spring 2026.