Luis Viera Updates Provides Updates On The Plans For The K-Bar Ranch ParkĀ 

New Tampa has long felt that, for a growing area, with such a large tax base, we do not get our fair share of parks. So, when I was elected, I worked to build on past successes for more park equity in New Tampa. 

The first step was a nearly $3-million expansion of our New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms. That same year, I got into the city budget design funding for the New Tampa All Abilities Park ā€“ the first of its kind in Tampa funded entirely by city dollars. 

Not long thereafter, we got funding for that All Abilities Park ā€” a fully accessible park for people with sensory and physical challenges. We would then work with the Hillsborough County School District for a seven-figure expansion of (and improvements to) the basketball court at Liberty Middle School. 

But, there was one promise I made to a group of New Tampa residents that I would be hard-pressed to forget about. 

At one of my earliest town halls, New Tampa residents asked about the roughly 65 acres of land at K-Bar Ranch saved for a community park. Among those residents were my friends Nagesh Nayak and Prahlad Madabhushi, who asked about space for cricket ā€” a sport which is very popular in India and with a large number of local residents. 

I promised these constituents that, by the time I left office, I would get the ball rolling permanently on this project. 

I like to think that I am a man of my word. In last yearā€™s budget, I was able to secure $750,000 in the city budget for the K-Bar Ranch park design. This gets us to first base on creating this much-desired park and cricket pitch. 

So, what is next for this park? 

We will have a number of public meetings on park design. I already had one on August 6 of last year for initial public input. In attendance was park booster, State House Minority Leader and Dist. 67 State Rep. Fentrice Driskell ā€” and there will be more such meetings. 

It is anticipated that by Spring of this year, vendor submittals for design will begin and this will last into this summer and be completed with the execution of a contract to design the park. Once this contract is in place, the consultant will conduct the public meetings. It is during this part of the process that design elements with community input and interest will be done. 

In other words, now is the time for you to think about your proposals for this park, with regard to density and lighting. Think about amenities for this park and what accommodations the community will need and will want to see included in this park, which is being funded by the Community Investment Tax (CIT). 

We are now therefore in the design stage. This park is likely include a playground, trails, fields and a conservation area. Residents should begin to think of what they want in this park. The design is anticipated to include an all-purpose athletic field that is adaptable for cricket. For many of our Indian-American friends, I know this is a remarkable passion ā€“it is a passion I share and will fight for. A cricket space would not only be a real win for our area, but it would be an impressive symbol of New Tampaā€™s rich cultural diversity. 

Much of the K-Bar Ranch leadership has spoken out in favor of the cricket field ā€” a symbol of the solidarity residents have with one another and how we are all Americans. K-Bar Ranch Homeowners Association president Patrick Leduc always speaks proudly of the cultural diversity of this community. 

Every development ā€” including parks ā€” goes through analysis from various city departments, including Fire, Police, Mobility, Stormwater, etc. If you have concerns about any of these areas, please let us know. 

If you have ideas for this park, please email me at luis.viera@tampagov.net. 

And, please know that, no matter your politics, where you come from or who you are, what a real pleasure it is to be able to represent you in office. 

Tampa City Council Approves Funding For K-Bar Park Design!Ā 

As we reported last issue, K-Bar Ranch is getting a 60-acre City of Tampa park and one that District 7 Tampa City Council member (and New Tampa resident) Luis Viera (photo, left) has said he hopes will include a cricket pitch as one of its amenities.Ā 

At that meeting with about 50-60 residents (most, but not all of whom live in K-Bar Ranch) on Aug. 7, Viera said that he hoped and expected that the funding for the design of the park to be included in the cityā€™s Fiscal 2025 budget. 

Well, on Sept. 5, the City Council did approve the roughly $1 million needed for the parkā€™s design upon first reading of the cityā€™s budget and Viera is thankful not only for the item passing its first muster, but also for the support of District 67 State Representative and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (who also attended the resident meeting on Aug. 7). Leader Driskell wrote a letter (in the far right column) to the City Council members on Sept. 3 to let them know that she is ā€œin strong support of the FY25 budget design money for the K-Bar Ranch Park.ā€ 

Viera then went on his Facebook page to thank Driskell ā€œfor your advocacy in supportā€ of the park design funding. ā€œRep. Driskell has been on the front line advocating not only for this park in the budget, but for a cricket component to this park…Thank you, Rep. Driskell for your advocacy for this budget item.ā€ 

And of course, Viera also noted in his Facebook message that, ā€œWe have about 60 acres available ā€” with a great deal of conservation space and a park, as well as potentially a fire-station long-term,ā€ even though Tampa Fire Rescue Fire Chief Barbara Tripp has yet to express her support for a full fire station in K-Bar, at the park site or otherwise. 

At the Aug. 7 resident meeting, Brad Suder, the superintendent of the cityā€™s planning design natural resources division, said that once the design money becomes available ā€” most likely sometime in late November ā€” the city will be able to hire a consultant to work with and the public participating in the design process could begin. The second reading of the budget is scheduled for Thursday, September 19 ā€” or a couple of days (or so) after this issue arrives in your mailbox. 

Area Youths Learning How To Play Cricket

While many New Tampa parents can sign their kids up for leagues in sports like baseball, basketball, football and soccer that they themselves played as kids, the same opportunity hasnā€™t existed for the areaā€™s large Indian population.

But now, that has changed.

Nagesh Nayak and Prahlad Madabhushi, the president and managing director, respectively, of the Tampa Premier League (TPL) ā€” which is based at Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd. ā€” have begun holding youth cricket camps at New Tampaā€™s Community Park on Thursday nights. The hope is to take younger kids and spark interest, and provide the tools and knowledge, in a game that is near and dear to the hearts of their parents and their Indian culture.

ā€œThe reason we started it was there was a great deal of interested parents, asking if there was any cricket coaching for their kids,ā€ said Madabhushi. ā€œThere is a large Indian population in New Tampa, so there was a lot of demand.ā€

Nayak and Madabhushi reached out to City of Tampa Council member Luis Viera for a place to hold their camps, and Viera helped secure the New Tampa location.

While you can find kids learning how to play in the streets and playgrounds in India (like American children learn baseball, basketball and soccer), that is not the case for cricket in the U.S. Nor are there any leagues for younger players, like Little League baseball or Pop Warner football.

Nayak says he would like to provide something close to that for interested players in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. The goal is to develop new players who could then advance to playing actual matches in local adult leagues.

Roughly 40 eager players showed up on Sept. 23 for the first New Tampa camp, which has 4-6 coaches available to teach each week. The kids, who range in age from 5 to 16, are shown how to throw and hit the ball, while also learning the rules of the game.

ā€œI think everyone liked what they were experiencing,ā€ says Nayak, an accomplished cricket player himself. ā€œHitting the ball, throwing the ball, catching the ball….especially hitting the ball…they enjoyed it.ā€

Madabhushi has been pleased with the early reception to the camps.

ā€œItā€™s been amazing,ā€ he says. ā€œThe kids are so into it, some of them donā€™t want to go home. And, the parents appreciate it as well.ā€ 

While the first camp hosted all children of Indian parents, Nayak says the camps are open to everyone. In fact, he says, because of the similarity to baseball ā€” both sports involve a pitcher (called a bowler in cricket) throwing to a batter whose goal is to hit the ball ā€” heā€™d be interested to see current and former baseball players take a shot at cricket. 

ā€œI think that would be a good transfer of talent,ā€ he says.

Nayak and other adult players in the area typically play on Saturdays and Sundays on a makeshift pitch on some extra, unused land at the Wesley Chapel District Park, roughly five miles north of New Tampa. Their hope is to eventually secure a regulation field, level and well-maintained, at the same park, for future matches and tournaments.

As the new players at the New Tampa camp develop and learn the game, they could graduate to games in Wesley Chapel with the better players.

ā€œOut of the kids we had out there, 25 are between the ages of 5-12,ā€ said Madabhushi. ā€œBut, thereā€™s also about 8 or 10 of them who are ages 13-16, who we can take it to the next level. The first step is to move up to the adult league, and when they get familiar with that level, to take them to tournaments.ā€ 

Weather permitting, the camps are held every Thursday from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and cost $70 for eight weeks of training.

 For more information, email tampapremierleague@gmail.com, or visit Facebook @TampaCricket.