Many New Tampa residents are aware that District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan (photo below) used to live in Cross Creek. Fewer people probably know, however, that Hagan grew up in Carrollwood โ and he says both experiences helped him decide to fight for an indoor/ outdoor recreation facility in New Tampa โ all of which is located in his district.ย
โWhen I was in college,โ Hagan says, โI spent my summers working in the same county park in Carrollwood I grew up playing in. Then, when I was raising my family in Cross Creek, I realized that we didnโt have any county park facilities. So, when I first became the County Commissioner for the New Tampa area (way back in 2002), I decided to try to get a large county park built here.โ
Hagan says the county had purchased land in K-Bar Ranch, โand my original plan was to partner with the City of Tampa on a big park there, but the city killed that. (Note- K-Bar is now getting a city park of its own.) So, I was able to take that money and use half of it to redo Branchton Park (on Morris Bridge Rd. south of Cross Creek Blvd.) and the other half to build this facility here.โ
Hagan and other county officials cut the ribbon on the $8.6-million Cross Creek Recreation Center at 19019 Bassett Creek Dr. (next to Pride Elementary) on June 29.
In addition to completely revamping the 15-acre parkโs outdoor playground and adding shade shelters, new basketball courts, a walking trail and benches, the projectโs crown jewel is the 16,000-sq.-ft. rec center, which has a full-sized basketball gym, fitness (not yet stocked) and multipurpose rooms, classrooms and a public meeting space โ and recreation supervisor Kim Gilchrist and assistant rec supervisor Alex Spacone (photo, left) say the summer camp program was full for this summer, but there will be programming for children and adults throughout the year for those with a โWellness Access Pass-Cross Creek.โย
โThere are a lot more programs still to come,โ Hagan says. โI wish we had something like this when my kids were growing up here.โ Me, too, Ken!
For more info about the Cross Creek Rec Center, call (813) 744-5978 or visit FLHillsboroughweb.myvscloud.com. โ GN; all photos by Charmaine Georgeย
ย โWe know this new facility will be bustling with activity the day it opens .โ โ Hillsborough Comm. Ken Haganย
(Photos by Charmaine George; renderings provided by Hillsborough County)ย
Local families and residents have to be happy with all of the new parks now being built or in the planning stages these days in New Tampa, which has long had a dearth of Hillsborough County and City of Tampa parks and recreation facilities.
Well, no more. Where zip code 33647 at one time only was home to the three-field New Tampa Little League (now called the North East Sports Complex/Eber Baseball) complex on Kinnan St., the county-owned Flatwoods Wilderness/Conservation Park (with entrances on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd.) and Branchton Park (on Morris Bridge Rd., south of Cross Creek Blvd.; more on that below), we now have the cityโs New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms, the county-built North Tampa Athletic Assn. field complex at Turner-Bartels K-8 School (in conjunction with the Hillsborough School District) and the cityโs New Tampa Nature Park. (Note-Of course, both Flatwoods and the New Tampa Nature Park are largely โpassiveโ parks without much in the way of recreational facilities, other than trails and shelters).
But, if you thought that was it for our local government-built parks, you were sadly mistaken, as the county is in the process of building a much-expanded Branchton Park, the city has created its first All-Abilities Park at the New Tampa Rec Center, a new covered outdoor โcourt sportโ facility between Freedom High and Liberty Middle School and (as we reported last issue), also is in the planning stages of building a new 60-acre city park in K-Bar Ranch.ย
The groundbreaking for Hillsborough Countyโs new Cross Creek Recreation Center on Aug. 30, where the featured speakers were County Commissioner Ken Hagan (below right) and county parks director Rick Valdez (below left).ย
And, on Aug. 30, Hillsborough County held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new indoor Cross Creek Recreation/Community Center & Gymnasium (see the latest graphic of the parkโs location, above) on the grounds of what was previously just an unfinished, underused outdoor โpracticeโ facility in Cross Creek (just south of Pride Elementary and the Bassett Creek subdivision of K-Bar Ranch.ย
โThere are no indoor park facilities like this in New Tampa,โ Dist. 7 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan said at the groundbreaking ceremony. โThe city has the gymnastics center in Tampa Palms, but nothing for indoor basketball or volleyball. We know this new facility will be bustling with activity the day it opens.โ
Aug. 30 was a super-hot day, so the festivities for the groundbreaking of the $9-million Cross Creek Recreation Center were short and sweet.
โIโm so excited for how this park will further our mission of enhancing lives through people, parks and enjoyable experiences,โ said Hillsborough Parks & Recreation director Rick Valdez. โOur countyโs parks are among our most treasured resources and we are committed to preservingm growing and maintaining these outstanding community assets. And community parks are among our most popular assets, with fun amenities for people of all ages, improving physical fitness and proving that you can have fun and stay healthy at the same time.โ
He added, โThis Cross Creek Community and Gymnasium will no doubt serve as a wonderful addition to this community and enrich the lives of our residents.โ
Valdez then introduced District 7 Hillsborough County Commissioner (and former New Tampa resident) Ken Hagan, saying that โThe New Tampa community has truly been a labor of love for our next speaker. He has championed major projects, including the state-of-the-art New Tampa Performing Arts Center, the very popular New Tampa dog park (adjacent to the cityโs rec center in Tampa Palms), our soon-to-open Branchton Destination Park and now this. I must say that no one has fought harder for New Tampa.โ
Hagan said, โIt is such a pleasure to be here as we break ground on the next destination here in New Tampa., one of the most beautiful areas in all of Hillsborough County..โ
Hagan noted that the new park has been โmany years in the makingโ and said that when he did live in Cross Creek and his son was zoned for Pride Elementary, โWe did not have any summer or after-school programs, and we still donโt have a public indoor facility, but with this project, thatโs about to change. This project will transform this entire area.โ
He then mentioned that the project will include a new 16,000-sq.-ft. community center and gymnasium, with a fitness room, a multi-purpose room with a warming kitchen, it will have multiple classrooms, a covered outdoor space, a new parking lot, walking path, more open green space with a large pavilion and the existing playground will be renovated to be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-compliant and there also will be a new picnic shelter. There will be something for everyone here in New Tampa.โย
In addition, Hagan said, there will be summer programs, after-school programs for kids, as well as senior programs during the day, including a possible ceramics studio. โJust imagine all of the possibilities for fun, education, community gatherings and fellowship. Youโll be able to do all of that at this new facility. It did take years for me to secure the funding, but Iโm immensely proud to have championed this facility.โ
The rendering of the exterior design of the rec center (top photo) and (below it) the design of the parkโs revamped playground.ย
Following the โturning of the dirt,โ Hagan also noted that because of the after-school programming at the new indoor facility, โWeโre confident that it will help the traffic situation at Pride when school lets out. A lot of kids will come to the facility right after school lets out, which will shorten that queue initially and then, itโll be spread out. Some of them will be picked up at 4 or 5 or even 6, so it will actually relieve the traffic here.โ
Hagan also said that because a rezoning was required to get the park approved, the countyโs transportation staff had to come up with a pan to handle the traffic beforehand. He also noted that because Bassett Creek Dr. (the roadway that connects Kinnan St. to Pride is a county road that turns into a city road just north of the park site, how the traffic will be handled is just one of the challenges weโre dealing with.โ
Valdez said that the Cross Creek Rec Center should be open by Fall of 2025.ย
Branchton Park Update
Hagan also said after the groundbreaking that the first phase of the revamped Branchton Park, located further south of Cross Creek Blvd. on Morris Bridge Rd. than the existing park, was expected to open by the end of this month or in early October, but no update was available at our press time. He also said that his pet project at Branchton Park โ the countyโs first public-private partnership zip line โ would not be included in that first phase and that not all of the Branchton Park construction phases were funded yet.
A rendering of the buildings at The Townes at Cross Creek.
If you drive on Cross Creek Blvd. regularly, you probably have seen the signs for what appears to be two separate new townhome communities by Lennar Homes that are both being called โThe Townes at Cross Creek.โ
Well, despite the distance between them, the two separate communities are actually being developed as one, with 60 three-bedroom, 2.5-bath, two-story townhomes in nine buildings in the western section of the development (east of the New Tampa Dance Theatre, or NTDT on the map below) and 35 similar townhomes with the same model names in six buildings due east of The Parq at Cross Creek apartments.ย
The map of the two halves of the community.ย
The three model sizes currently being shown in The Townes at Cross Creek at Lennar.comare the 1,597-sq.-ft. Allegiance model, the 1,760-sq.-ft. Constitution model and the 1,807-sq.ft. Liberty model.ย
In the Townes at Cross Creek West (also known as โCross Creek- Parcel Bโ), there will be 16 Allegiance, 26 Constitution and 18 Liberty units among the 60 total.
In the Townes at Cross Creek East (also known as โCross Creek-Parcel Dโ),, there will be 9 Allegiance, 14 Constitution and 12 Liberty units among the 35 total. It appears that all of the units have attached garages, and lanais or porches.ย
The sign announcing that The Townes at Cross Creek townhomes are coming. (Photo by Charmaine George)ย
According to what we could find in both the site plan and on the Lennar website, we donโt believe The Townes at Cross Creek will have any amenities โ no clubhouse, pool, etc. โ but it also will not have a Community Development District. According to the site plan by Halff Associates, Inc., on behalf of the property owner โ the SDD Trust โ the roads inside both sides of the community are private, so we believe they will both be gated, although no one at Lennar had returned our phone calls or emails at our press time to address any of the questions we had about this new community.
For example, because the vertical construction of the new townhomes has not yet begun, the Lennar.com website also did not mention any price points yet for The Townes, nor did it address when construction on the communities will actually begin or when it is expected to be completed.
Photo of damage from the storm that hit New Tampa on June 4 provided by Shannon Briones.
When the 2023 hurricane season officially kicked off in Florida on June 1, the residents of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel had no idea how long it would be before โ or even if โ a major named storm would roll through our area.
But, on June 4, although the storm had no name and was essentially localized in our area and just to the east of our communities, residents in Hunterโs Green, Cross Creek and Heritage Isles all reported major damage from 60+ mph winds, heavy rain and even hail that blew through our area.
Source: Luis Viera on Facebook
After Tampa City Councilman and Hunterโs Green resident Luis Viera (Photo, left) posted a video of the damage the storm caused in his community, a number of New Tampa residents responded to our request on our Facebook page for photos of the storm damage.ย
So, if you think just because weโve gotten lucky in years past that our area will never be evacuated and will always escape major damage this hurricane season check out the incredible reader-provided pictures.
Uprooted trees, 60 mph winds, accumulations of hail, relatively brief, but heavy rains, named storms and possible tornadic activity isnโt unusual anywhere in Florida once hurricane season begins on June 1 each year, but on June 4 of this year, the New Tampa area got pounded by such a storm that was too brief and didnโt originate over water to be given an A-Z moniker.
Even so, the no-name storm that was pretty much localized to New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land OโLakes, San Antonio and Zephyrhills that day did lots of damage and definitely made folks in our area recognize that hurricane season had indeed begun.
Photo by Shannon Briones
Photo above provided by Luis Viera on Facebook
During the storm, which took place as District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera was returning to his home in Hunterโs Green, dozens of tree limbs were knocked down in not only Vieraโs home community, but also in Cross Creek, Heritage Isles and Cory Lake Isles. Viera, seeing just a small portion of the devastation, took to his Facebook page to tell people to keep an eye out for downed power lines, trees that had actually hit homes and any other major damage that would result in the need for fire rescue officials to visit and lend their usual helping hand.
โIโve never seen anything like that here,โ Viera said afterward. โIt was just so quick and powerful and I feel very fortunate that, as far as I know, no one was hurt or killed.โ
Viera also said that he did see some people working together to try to lift a downed tree and firefighters from Tampa Fire Rescue Station Nos. 21, 23 and 24 were definitely called out or at least on alert throughout the storm.
Once I saw Vieraโs plea online, I made one of my own, asking our Facebook followers to share photos of the damage they saw and several of them responded with the impressive photos on these pages.
Some asked that we not use their names in the story that I said I would write for this issue. Others didnโt mind either way, so only those photographers will be identified. I do, however, want to thank everyone who contributed.
Hopefully, more of us will take this yearโs hurricane season a little more seriously. Get your preparedness kit together now and please evacuate in the unlikely event you are told to do so.
Photo by Said IravaniScreenshot above from Demene BenjaminPhoto by Shannon Briones
The City of Tampa and Hillsborough County have resolved its dispute over usage of Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 21 on Cross Creek Blvd. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
When roughly 5,000 residents in Pebble Creek, Live Oake, Cross Creek and other communities located in unincorporated Hillsborough County lost their City of Tampa fire rescue service in 2018, Hillsborough County turned to nearby Pasco County for service.
With a new mayor in office, they have now turned back to Tampa.
On September 18, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) agreed by a 7-0 vote to finalize an agreement with the City of Tampa to restore its fire service to the area, which former Mayor Bob Buckhorn ended in 2017 after demanding the county pay roughly five times what it was already paying.
Under the new proposed agreement, the county will pay the city $600,000 a year for service from the four stations located in New Tampa. It also gave a 90-day notice to Pasco County which, in lieu of the City of Tampa, has been providing service for the unincorporated area since 2018.
Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan
โThis is great news for New Tampa,โ said Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan, who represents the New Tampa area in District 2. โRestoring Tampaโs fire rescue service to unincorporated New Tampa was my No. 1 priority. It was the first thing I met with (newly elected) Mayor Jane Castor about when she got elected. Iโm absolutely thrilled that weโve reached an agreement in principle.โ
District 6 Commissioner Pat Kemp agreed, and offered thanks to Mayor Castor for being open to renegotiating.
โThis is the most sensible and safe solution to serve the residents there,โ Kemp said.
The nearest Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Station is the University Area Station No.5 on E. 139th Ave., which is more than 10 miles from most of Pebble Creek.
So while the $600,000 is nearly three times what the county was paying in its previous agreement with the City of Tampa, โit is $900,000 less than what the City previously wanted, and it is far less than what it would cost to construct and operate a fire station in the area,โ Hagan said.
Hagan said he recently spoke at a Homeowners Association meeting in Cross Creek, and fire rescue service was one of the first concerns raised. He says he came to the BOCC with nine letters of support from HOAs in the unincorporated areas of New Tampa.
โThe best-case scenario was to ultimately restore service, and unfortunately, that required a new Mayor,โ Hagan said.
In 2017, Buckhorn said the City of Tampa would no longer provide fire rescue service to the unincorporated portion of New Tampa, which it had done since 1998 with some combination of Fire Stations No. 20 in Tampa Palms and Nos. 21(located across Cross Creek Blvd. from the Cross Creek community) and 22 on Cross Creek Blvd., In February, another station, No. 23, opened just off of County Line Rd. on Trout Creek Dr., essentially surrounding unincorporated New Tampa with fire rescue stations.
Without coverage from the city, Hillsborough turned to Pasco County for help. For $275,000 a year, Pasco โ primarily Pasco County Fire Rescue Station No. 26, located in the nearby Meadow Pointe I community of Wesley Chapel โ provided emergency services to unincorporated New Tampa.
โPasco has done a good job, but the reality is the response times are longer,โ Hagan said. โA few calls have taken over 20 minutes to respond. Iโve also heard horror stories from residents who have had to call 911 a second time or have taken matters into their own hands and driven loved ones to the ER themselves. As a result, New Tampa has been begging the county to contract with Tampa.โ
Pebble Creek residents created a Facebook page and online petition asking the County to build a fire station closer to them.
While Tampaโs closer fire rescue stations could still respond to emergencies if the Pasco Fire Rescue Trucks were occupied โ due to a mutual aid agreement between the counties โ all local calls in the unincoporated areas were diverted first to Pasco Fire Rescue.
A return to the old agreement, Hagan says, is simply more convenient, and safer, for area residents.
โI can tell you, the community is absolutely delighted that Tampa Fire Rescue is once again going to be providing service to unincorporated New Tampa,โ Hagan said.
