Phase 1A Of County’s New Branchton Park Opens On Morris Bridge Rd. 

Congratulations to the Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department, which has now opened Phase 1A of a new $6.7-million multi-phase expansion of Branchton Park at 15508 Morris Bridge Rd., less than a half-mile south of Cross Creek Blvd. 

On a frosty cold Jan.23, Hillsborough’s director of Parks & Recreation Rick Valdez, District 2 County Commissioner Ken Hagan, park project manager Jason McKenzie, New Tampa resident and Dist. 4 Comm. Christine Miller’s legislative aide Rico Smith were among those who cut the ribbon on the new 43-acre park. 

Valdez said the new park includes a splash pad (which wasn’t yet open, but it was too cold to try that day anyway), a large playground area (with a blue turf facsimile of the Hillsborough River running through it), plus several changing rooms, restrooms and a “Cop Cabin” where Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office (HCS) deputies can have a desk, a lounge (with a working fireplace) and a place to keep an eye on what’s happening in the park. 

Also under construction in Phase 1B are six pickleball courts, large- and small-breed dog parks and an additional restroom. Phase 1B is expected to open by no later than March of this year. 

Phase 2, which is funded and includes renovations to the original 19-acre Branchton Park, also is expected to include a zipline (in partnership between the county and a private contractor, who has not yet been selected) and an event center. Valdez said Phase 2 will take about two years to build. 

“I am thrilled to be here this morning as the commissioner who championed this project for over a decade,” Comm. Hagan said prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony. “How this occurred is that, for six years, I lived around the corner, off Cross Creek Blvd. And every day, I would drive on Morris Bridge Rd., because before we widened Bruce B. Downs (Blvd.), the traffic was terrible. 

“So, I’d go down Morris Bridge, and I’d always look over here and see this beautiful area and I would never see more than two or three people on the basketball courts or in the little picnic area. And I just remember thinking that we could really do something special and make a destination here. Well, many years later, we’ve created it [and we] worked closely with the New Tampa community to get the amenities the residents wanted to see here.” 

Hagan added, “This park will serve 45,000+ people within a ten-minute drive of this area.” 

For more info, visit HCFL.gov. 

County Breaks Ground On Branchton Park Upgrades

When Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan tossed his shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking of the new and improved Branchton Regional Park last month, he did so with one thing in mind — this is going to be more than just a park. It’s going to be a destination.

Work has begun on the area’s latest county park project, bringing a host of activities to 43 acres just off the southwest corner of Morris Bridge Rd. and Cross Creek Blvd.

The current Branchton Park — a large patch of nature with a trail, basketball court and small playground — is being re-created just south of its current location.

“Currently, it’s a very beautiful, picturesque park,” Hagan said, “but really, it only has a small playground and basketball court, with a shelter. We’re going to turn it into a destination.”

That will involve a larger playground, four pickleball courts, all-sports courts for basketball, volleyball and other sports, a splash pad and walking trails, to name a few of the amenities.

And, that’s just the start.

“It gets even better, because that’s only Phase 1,” Hagan said. “The next phase will have a dog park for both large and small dogs, an event pavilion, additional walking trails with a boardwalk, and a really cool…zipline, which will be the first one in Hillsborough County.”

The zipline is expected to be a private-public venture, and Hagan said he hopes to add more private-backed amenities in the future.

Hagan also has broached the idea of adding a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office substation to the area. He says he has already secured the $6 million needed to complete the first phase of the park’s upgrades, which could be completed by sometime in 2023.

Two years ago, the county polled local residents about their preferred amenities. More than 500 people responded online to the survey, and the county has incorporated many of those requests into the new park’s design.

“When we build this park, there will be something here for everyone,” said Rick Valdez, director of the county’s Parks & Recreation Department. “From birth to 90 years old, there’s going to be something that you can come out and enjoy at this park.”

Viera Files For Third Term & New Facilities Near Openings

Tampa City Councilman and long-time Hunter’s Green resident Luis Viera officially files to run for a third term.

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, who represents the New Tampa area as part of District 7, likes to joke that he only won his first election by a mere 65 votes in a runoff.

In his second election, however, he trounced opponent Quinton Robinson 76.2 percent to 23.8 percent.

After building a strong list of accomplishments and being attentive to New Tampa, where he has lived for 16 years, Viera thinks a third term is in order. He officially filed for reelection earlier this month.

The Tampa City Council election isn’t until March 7, 2023; Viera does not have an opponent yet.

“I feel like I have a lot more work to do for the district, and the City of Tampa,” Viera said. “There’s a lot more things to be done.”

Viera played a significant role in rallying New Tampa residents to be more active politically and impacted a city budget that led to funding for the New Tampa Recreation Center expansion and the building of the New Tampa Sensory & Autism Friendly Park, the first of its kind in the city. The Sensory Park is under construction and will hold a ribbon cutting later this year.

Viera, who fancies himself as a throwback politician focused more on bridge-building and working with opponents to get things done, says there still are a number of transportation and fire rescue needs, like a fire station in K-Bar Ranch, that he says he will tackle if reelected.

One thing he has tackled is finally open — the closed-and-opened-and-closed and now open again Meadow Pointe Blvd. connector road to K-Bar Ranch, officially voted on by the City Council on August 27.

The connection between Meadow Pointe Blvd. (in Wesley Chapel/Pasco County) and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. was opened around May 30 for utility workers to finish their work, but eager K-Bar Ranch residents immediately began driving on the new extension, forcing the barricades to be put back in place. The long-awaited connector has been back to being closed since early June. 

New Tampa residents in the Cross Creek/Live Oak/K-Bar Ranch areas are now be able to bypass Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. by driving north on Meadow Pointe Blvd., which leads all the way to busy S.R. 56.

Ready For Branchton Park

A massive upgrade to the current Branchton Park will break ground on Wednesday, September 14.

A splash pad, pickleball and basketball courts, two dog parks and hiking trails are just some of the amenities planned for Phase 1 of the new park, which will be just south of the current Branchton Park, which sits on the southwest corner of Morris Bridge Rd. and Cross Creek Blvd.

The second phase could include a Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office mini-substation at the park, according to Hagan.

Hagan also has said a second phase could include a possible public-private partnership (PPP) with a zip line or “challenge” course for the park. 

PAC Opening Set

The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) ribbon cutting is officially set for Friday, October 7, says Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who represents New Tampa in District 2.

The 20,000-sq.-ft. NTPAC, which can be expanded later to 30,000 sq. ft., will have a 343-seat theater with retractable seating among its other features. The NTPAC is located behind the Village at Hunter’s Lake shopping plaza, across BBD from the entrance to the Hunter’s Green community.

New Branchton Regional Park Set To Begin Permitting

A splash pad, pickleball courts and hiking trails are just some of the amenities that could be available to New Tampa residents by the end of this year, or early next year.

According to District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, the county is ready to move ahead on a new park for the Branchton area off Morris Bridge Rd. south of Cross Creek Blvd. Hagan says the county staff is ready to submit plans for the park’s permitting.

“Ideally, after that’s approved, we should be able to have a groundbreaking out there probably in the April-May range,” Commissioner Hagan says.

If that happens, Branchton Regional Park will likely be completed sometime in early 2023, although Hagan says he is hoping the park can be finished by the end of 2022, if the summer weather and supply chains cooperate. 

The park will replace the current Branchton Park, which sits on the southwest corner of Morris Bridge Rd. and Cross Creek Blvd. While the current park has an outdoor basketball court, playground and trails, it only has parking for roughly 10 cars and no bathrooms.

A Little History

In 2017, the county acquired four parcels of land totaling an additional 10 acres just south of the existing Branchton Park. The newly acquired land will be home to the new park, which will be developed in two phases.

Branchton Park

The first phase of construction includes 130 parking spots, walking trails, two dog parks, restrooms, shelters, four pickleball courts and a multipurpose court that can be configured as two basketball or two volleyball courts, according to a conceptual site plan provided last year.

The separate dog parks for small and large dogs will include shelters, benches, dog agility equipment, water and wash stations.

The new park also will include a playground and a splash pad.

Hagan says he has already secured the $6.1 million to construct the first phase in previous county budgets.

He added that he also has talked with Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister about building a mini-substation at the park, and that Chronister was in favor of that possibility.

“He likes the idea,” Hagan says. “I spoke to him about it and we agree that it would help increase the Sheriff’s Office’s presence around the park and also increase its presence throughout New Tampa.”

Although nothing has been formalized, Hagan also says that there also has been continuing conversation with private sector companies about a possible public-private partnership (PPP) about a zip line or “challenge” course for the park, perhaps in Phase 2. 

The county already has completed the public survey portion of the project. Last year, nearly 500 people responded online to a survey with their requests for what they would like to see the park include. Many of the residents’ choices are included in the plans, according to the county’s website. 

Plans to build some kind of new park in the Branchton area have circulated in Hillsborough County for years, going as far back as 2005 when the county had plans to build an athletic complex south of the existing Branchton Park. Those plans, however, never materialized.

As for that old Branchton Park, it will remain intact for the most part, but Hagan envisions re-developing it into a business center that could include a sports bar and other restaurants.

County To Begin Upgrading Branchton Park In 2022

Branchton Park is currently an obscure park located south of Cross Creek Blvd. on Morris Bridge Rd., with plenty of open space, but will be transformed when it gets a $5-million makeover from Hillsborough County, including the addition of all-purpose courts, a playground and a pond.

Tucked away off Morris Bridge Rd. a little south of Cross Creek Blvd., Branchton Park is a quiet, underpopulated spot in New Tampa that few local residents have ever visited.

However, those who do know about it will probably agree — it is a park with limited amenities that is showing its age and is in desperate need of a facelift.

And now, Hillsborough County has plans to do just that. Branchton Park as you know it will cease to exist, and will be “relocated” immediately south of its current location at 15701 Morris Bridge Rd.

The new Branchton Park will be more modern, with a lot more amenities, and will serve a lot more people’s needs, at a cost of around $5.5 million.

District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan said he secured the funding for the improvements in previous county budgets.

The park currently has a small shelter and playground, a basketball court in need of a refresh and parking for a few cars.

It also has a paved trail and plenty of open space, but no bathrooms (other than Porta Potties) or water fountains. Once the new park is completed, the site of the current park will be home to future development, which could include a restaurant, sports bar or even new homes, Hagan says, adding that he can envision something like The Village at Hunter’s Lake development on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. 

The nearly 500 responses to a county survey about what to make the new park look like were exactly what you would expect. Residents would like to see a dog park, a covered pavilion and play area, pickleball and tennis courts, roller hockey, more basketball courts, soccer fields and cricket pitches, a disc golf course, a splash pad, a skate park, walking and running trails, bathrooms, an amphitheater and more activities for the area’s senior population.

Or, in other words, everything.

Many of the resident requests are included in the plans, according to the county’s website. 

The project will be funded in phases and, in the first phase, there will be additional parking, walking trails, dog parks, restrooms, shelters and multipurpose courts, though the county notes that likely means four pickleball courts and two basketball courts, which also can be used for volleyball, according to the conceptual site plan.

The separate dog parks for small and large dogs will include shelters, benches, dog agility equipment and water and even wash stations.

Subsequent phases will include other things on the resident wish list, like a more robust playground and a splash pad. There is a possibility, according to the survey, that the splash pad could make its way into Phase 1.

Hagan says count on it.

“There will be a splash pad, I can promise you,” Hagan says. “And it will be in Phase 1. I’m not going to let that (not) happen.”

Final decisions on what may be added in subsequent phases will be made after Phase 1 has been completed.

According to the conceptual site plan, the new park also will include a park office, concessions, event pavilion, open area and 70 parking spaces. There also are plans further down the road for a public-private partnership (PPP) on a zip line or “challenge” course for the park.

Hagan says he may also push for a Hillsborough Sheriff’s substation in the Branchton area as well. 

In 2017, the county acquired four parcels of land totaling 10 acres just south of the current Branchton Park. The newly acquired land will be home to the new park. 

Hagan hopes to get the process moving in the next few months, with the start of construction sometime in early 2022.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Hagan says. “I think this is a great opportunity to build a really nice community asset.”