TAMPA, Fla. — As Tampa continues to recover from hurricanes Helene and Milton, the city's newest park promises to offer some relief to flood-prone areas.
Tampa's 48-acre MacDill 48 Park is set to open on Tuesday, off of S Martindale Avenue.
In addition to having classic features like bike paths, forest canopies and picnic tables, the park is designed to play two major environmental roles:
- Alleviating flooding by storing stormwater runoff
- Improving water quality in Hillsborough Bay by treating stormwater and removing pollutants
According to the city, the 10-acre, 25-million-gallon stormwater pond in the middle of MacDill 48 will specifically bring flood relief to the southeast portion of the Lower Peninsula Watershed, including the area south of El Prado Boulevard. The more than 12,000 linear feet of box culverts, pipes and drainage inlets will also help with flood mitigation efforts.
City officials say these drainage systems are designed to reduce nutrients, oils, sediments and floating debris bound for Hillsborough Bay.
Other MacDill 48 Park features include:
- 1-mile partially paved walking and biking trail
- Covered picnic tables
- Pond-side benches
- 14-foot boardwalk over natural wetland
While pedestrians and bicyclists will be welcome from sunrise to sunset, no cars will be allowed in the park.
“MacDill 48 Park seamlessly combines form with function, bringing much-needed stormwater infrastructure to the surrounding community, while also providing a beautiful space for all to enjoy,” Mayor Jane Castor said. “Thanks to the tireless work of our team members, and regional and community partners, we are ecstatic to include this extraordinary place in our award-winning park system and our growing list of major infrastructure upgrades.”
Tampa purchased the MacDill 48 property from Hillsborough County in September 2003. The project cost $51.4 million, $13.9 million of which was funded by the city of Tampa.
