Veterans Plaza Celebrates Tampa's 1st Black Veterans Subdivision

TAMPA, FL — The city of Tampa celebrated the completion of the Veterans Plaza at Jim Walter Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 5.

Jim Walter Park honors veterans and families from World War II who established the first modern homes for African Americans. It was through the efforts and persistence of those first military veterans and families that, in 1948, the Veterans Administration at the urging of MacDill Field Base Housing developed the first planned Black subdivision, "Lincoln Gardens" in the Carver City area.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, along with city officials, community leaders, and families of Lincoln Gardens, were on hand to mark the occasion at Jim Walter Park, 1508 N Clark Ave.

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"This veterans plaza and memorial is a steadfast reminder of the city of Tampa’s commitment to equity and education to help honor our history,” said Castor. “I am grateful for the support of city council, Tampa parks & recreation staff and the neighborhood associations who helped spearhead this project. We hope this park serves as a space for our community to pause and reflect on where we have been and where we have the potential to go."

The plaza and memorial were designed and improved by city staff and contractors. The plaza improvements also brought water and electricity to the park, which can now support future improvements.

In addition to these renovations, sculptor Steven Dickey will be contributing bronze statues for the Veterans Memorial. Dickey has completed other works throughout the city including, “Two on a Swing” near the Hunt Community Center as well as the Tony Pizzo and Nick Nuccio Immigrant Statues at Centennial Park.