New Tampa's First Community Gym Opens: Inside the $8.6M Cross Creek Park & Rec Center

New Tampa now has its first county-run community gym. Hillsborough County has opened the Cross Creek Park & Recreation Center at 19019 Basset Creek Drive, a roughly $8.6 million, taxpayer-funded project near K-Bar Ranch and Pride Elementary that gives local families a free indoor gym, a renovated playground and a summer-camp hub without driving across town.

The center was formally dedicated at a June 29 ribbon-cutting, according to local news reports, capping nearly a decade of planning and construction. The park itself is open sunrise to sunset every day, and the recreation center opened its doors to the public on July 6.

County Commissioner Ken Hagan described the site as the first community gym for the area and a genuine destination for New Tampa, saying he was struck by how the park had been transformed for local families, according to local media outlets.

What's inside

The heart of the project is a 16,000-square-foot recreation center set on a park of about 14.5 acres. County information lists a full indoor gym for basketball, volleyball and pickleball, a fitness center with weights, meeting rooms and multipurpose classrooms, plus WiFi.

Outside, the county renovated the playground — which reopened in March after closing during construction — and added outdoor basketball courts, open fields, picnic shelters, restrooms and expanded parking.

Programs are already in demand

The center's inaugural summer camp filled up before the doors even opened and now has a waiting list, according to local news reports — an early sign of how much pent-up demand there was for youth programming inside New Tampa itself.

One local parent told reporters the new facility means his family no longer has to travel outside the neighborhood to find a summer camp their child actually enjoys, and that the finished park exceeded what he had expected, according to local media outlets.

Beyond camp, the county says the recreation center is built to host after-school programs, youth sports leagues, and fitness and educational classes throughout the year. Meeting rooms and fields are available to rent for community use.

Getting access to the fitness center

Adults who want to use the fitness center and open-gym activities such as pickleball, badminton and volleyball can sign up for the county's Wellness Access Pass, which the county lists at $10 a month plus tax and covers included activities at one county recreation location.

A wildlife story built into the park

The grand opening also honored two young sisters, Bellamy and Sloane Dera, who took the initiative to help protect ospreys at the site before the park opened. The park now includes two new osprey nesting poles, one carrying a plaque recognizing the girls' efforts, according to local news reports.

Their family said the moment reflected exactly the kind of neighborly, community-minded lesson they hoped their children would learn.

Why it matters for New Tampa

For a fast-growing part of the county that has long leaned on facilities elsewhere in Tampa, a free, staffed indoor gym plus a modern playground and courts is a practical everyday win: somewhere close to home for youth sports, fitness, camps and community events. You can find location details and hours on the county's official page at hcfl.gov/locations/cross-creek-park.

For more community news from around town, visit Tampa Community Website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X for daily updates. Have memories of the old park site or thoughts on the new center? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and read more community and local events stories while you're there.