Construction Underway On New Tampa Performing Arts Center

NEW TAMPA, FL — Following a formal groundbreaking ceremony in July, construction is underway on the long-awaited performing arts center for New Tampa and a home for the New Tampa Players theater troupe.

The 20,000-square-foot New Tampa Performing Arts Center located on a 17-acre site at 8550 Hunters Village Road in the Hunter's Green subdivision will feature a 343-seat theater with retractable seating, a stage, catwalk and orchestra pit.

Other amenities include four multipurpose rooms, a main lobby, box office, concessions, serving kitchen and parking for 215 vehicles. Additionally, the center will be expandable to 30,000 square feet with a future second floor that will provide a venue for community theater classes for youth and adults.

Work on the project is expected to be complete by fall 2022.

Hillsborough County is now soliciting bids for vendors to operate the performing arts center.

First proposed in 2004, the performing arts center has been long time coming.

Although the city of Tampa did a study showing a need for a performing arts center in the New Tampa area, neither the city nor the county were able to appropriate the $7.3 million needed to build it.

In April, at the urging of long-time advocate Commissioner Ken Hagan, whose district includes New Tampa, the county commission revisited the issue.

With vital transportation projects in need of funding after the Florida Supreme Court overturned the voter-approved transportation surtax in February, Commissioner Kimberly Overman questioned whether the performing arts center was a priority.

Commissioners also questioned why the city of Tampa wasn't contributing funding to the project since New Tampa lies within the city limits.

After delaying a vote in April, the commission took the matter up again in May.

County Commissioner Gwen Myers said she thought the community had waited long enough for the performing arts center to become a reality.

“Promises made, promises kept on behalf of the board of county commissioners years ago to bring this project to fruition,” said Myers. “I hope no other community will go through 17 years of waiting on a decision from our county."

Commissioner Harry Cohen agreed.

"One thing we can do is provide funding to arts programs and make sure kids and adults and everyone in the community who wants exposure to arts can have it," he said.

In a 5-2 vote, the commission awarded the $7.3 million construction contract for the project.

Front and center at the groundbreaking was the New Tampa Players' president, Nora Paine.

“New Tampa has many amenities for sports and recreation that enrich residents’ lives,” said Paine, “but it does not have a place where the arts can blossom and grow in our community.”

"It's going to be a fantastic facility for the overall community, all the things that people want to do when they're looking to gauge an arts community," said Deputy County Administrator Greg Horwedel.

"It's important that we continue to foster the arts and most of the cultural arts scene is in downtown Tampa, and we have many communities, such as New Tampa, that are far removed from downtown," Hagan said. "This brings much-needed services into the community."