Tampa reopens redesigned, rebuilt Herman Massey Park

A long-awaited refresh of downtown Tampa’s Herman Massey Park is now complete. Tampa leaders hope the redesigned space quickly becomes part of people’s daily routines.

The roughly $2 million project, funded through the Downtown Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), transforms the park along Franklin Street into a more open gathering space. Improvements include a raised deck with movable furniture, an upgraded dog park, new lighting, and public art. Small design details, like a pair of swings, make the park feel approachable.

For City Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak, the early signs are already promising.

“I walked by, and there were already half a dozen dogs in the dog park,” Hurtak says. “People wasted no time.”

Designed for how people use downtown

Given the park’s relatively small footprint, the redesign emphasizes flexibility.

At just half an acre, the space has to accommodate multiple uses: a long-missed dog park, small group activities like yoga or dance classes, and informal meetings or quiet breaks for workers from nearby offices.

Movable seating and a raised deck allow the space to shift throughout the day, while the park’s mature live oaks provide shade across roughly three-quarters of the site—an essential feature in Tampa’s climate.

Hurtak, who says she often walks that stretch of Franklin Street during breaks from City Hall, feels the new design is “more open, friendly, and welcoming.”

Response to downtown’s growth and gaps

The investment comes amid a broader wave of residential growth in downtown Tampa, where new apartments and hotels have added density, but not always corresponding public space. While many new buildings include private amenities, they don’t replace accessible, street-level green space.

“There’s been an explosion of people living downtown,” Hurtak says. “But we haven’t always made the time and space for people to actually be outside.”

Projects like Herman Massey Park help fill that gap, she says. 

Lighting, safety, and staying power

Making the park safe and inviting after dark was also central to the redesign.

Updated urban lighting techniques include string lighting, tree uplighting, and overhead fixtures designed to cast light downward without spilling into nearby buildings. Previously obscured areas have been opened up, reducing hidden corners and improving sightlines throughout the park. 

The goal: create a space that feels active and visible without being harsh or overlit.

Shift toward smaller public spaces

Herman Massey Park isn’t a one-off.

Hurtak says she expects continued investment in smaller, distributed public spaces downtown, particularly along the Franklin Street corridor. She also pointed to efforts by the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), which is planning a new park, 12th Street Park, at the north end of the Channel District, in open space beneath the Selmon Expressway and just north of Deputy Kotfila Dog Park. 

For now, the focus is on how this newly reopened space performs in real time.

“If you come back in a year,” Hurtak says, “hopefully you’ll see people using it all day — whether that’s with their dogs, meeting friends, or just taking a break outside.”

Herman Massey Park is located at 1002 N. Franklin St. in downtown Tampa.