Site

Located along the Hillsborough River at the northern terminus of Tampa’s Tampa Riverwalk, the 4.5-acre urban park transformed a former police fleet maintenance and refueling facility into a major public waterfront destination just north of Interstate 275.

Program Challenge

Transform a former industrial and municipal service site into a vibrant neighborhood park shaped by community input and centered on recreation, gathering, and public access to the riverfront. The project sought to combine an unusually broad range of outdoor amenities within a single urban park while reinforcing connections to the Riverwalk and the site’s historic context.

Solution

The park was conceived as a highly flexible public landscape that supports recreation, events, and everyday community use. Program elements include wet and dry playgrounds, a dog park, a healing garden, open event lawns, a historic-inspired gazebo, and a Special Events Pavilion designed for performances and large gatherings. Positioned along a scenic stretch of the riverfront, the park extends the public experience of the Riverwalk while creating new opportunities for civic activity north of downtown Tampa.

Architectural elements throughout the park draw inspiration from the adjacent historic waterworks building, which was rehabilitated as a restaurant and brewery. Gabled roof forms reinterpret the proportions of the historic structure through contemporary geometries influenced by the folded forms of Japanese origami, while red brick matching the historic masonry palette is used throughout the park in seat walls, paving accents, and larger structures. The riverfront gazebo references historic wooden pile-driving structures once common along Tampa’s waterfront, creating a distinctive gathering space and visual landmark along the Riverwalk.

Central to the project is the dramatically cantilevered Special Events Pavilion, added beyond the original master plan to expand the park’s ability to host performances and civic events. Designed to accommodate theatrical lighting, staging, and event servicing, the pavilion quickly became the defining icon of the park—transforming the former industrial site into one of Tampa’s most active and recognizable public waterfront destinations