In an area of downtown Tampa that was once part of the bustling Central Avenue Black business district, a historic building has undergone a powerful transformation.
Kid Mason Community Center, which opened during segregation in August 1946 as the city’s first recreation center for Black residents, has emerged from a top-to-bottom renovation as a revitalized community gathering place.
In February, the City of Tampa and the community celebrated the grand reopening of the center after a renovation project that started in August 2023.
The ongoing renovation adds a 3,200-square-foot raised deck with furniture, an improved dog park, and public art, along with fencing, lighting, and landscaping upgrades. Tampa’s CRA is funding the $2 million project, which is expected to finish in late October of this year.