Fair Oaks Community Center: A significant investment in East Tampa

For decades, Fair Oaks Park has been a cornerstone of the East Tampa community. Children played, neighbors gathered, and generations built memories. But time took its toll on the aging community center building, and the  City of Tampa needed a larger, modern facility to meet the community need.

In 2019, the project started as a planned $200,000 renovation of the community center. Over time, the city acquired adjacent properties and expanded its vision. Now, the $34.7million East Tampa Recreation Complex covers more than 10 acres and includes the approximately 33,000 square-foot community center the city just opened, and the redevelopment of adjacent Fair Oaks Park that’s expected to finish in spring 2026. 

“The old Fair Oaks Park was a neighborhood staple for many longtime parkgoers and children from the area,” notes Tampa Media and Public Affairs Manager Natalia Verdina. “But the center itself was aging, and its condition prompted city leaders to create something entirely new and better suited for the community.”

Major investment in East Tampa

The new Fair Oaks Park Community Center is one of the Parks and Recreation Department’s largest projects, and one of the city’s largest public investments in East Tampa.  City leaders say the project is more than a facility upgrade. It’s a meaningful investment to improve the quality of life in East Tampa and help spur long-term economic development.

“This was seen as a chance to uplift the community and reinvest in East Tampa in a major way,” explains Verdina.

The new community center has a dedicated seniors space, multipurpose rooms, a teaching kitchen, an indoor basketball court, and a large rooftop solar panel array to cut energy costs.  Outdoors, the park will have one basketball court, two pickleball courts, one-and-a-half miles of walking trails, a multipurpose sports field, a children’s splash pad, and a playground for all abilities. Families, seniors, youth groups, and athletes will find structured programming or open recreational space.

Designed for the community

Community involvement and input played a central role throughout the planning process, ensuring the center addresses the needs of the neighborhood.

“This is a major investment in a Parks and Recreation facility in a historically underserved area of the city,” Verdina continues. 

Mayor Jane Castor, Tampa City Council members, representatives of project builder Skanska, neighborhood residents, community organizations, and local leaders all attended the December 15th ribbon-cutting ceremony for the community center.

“East Tampa deserves this beautiful space that will foster not just health and wellness, but friendship, mentorship, and a deep sense of community,” Castor says.

Verdina says the feedback continues to be overwhelmingly positive, and community members have been “incredibly excited to begin their programming and activities.”

More than recreation

City leaders see the community center as a platform for connection as much as recreation. The facility is designed to support health, wellness, mentorship, and social ties that strengthen neighborhoods over time.

As East Tampa continues to evolve, the recreation complex in Fair Oaks is a tangible example of how targeted public investments help close opportunity gaps. By creating a space shaped by the community and built for the future, the city reinforces the simple but powerful idea that when neighborhoods are given the resources they deserve, they thrive.

Fair Oaks Park is located at 5019 N. 34th St.

For more information, go to Tampa recreation centers