A bright, outdoor daytime photograph of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor posing with a group of about ten smiling children at the Fair Oaks Recreation Complex. Mayor Castor stands in the back center, wearing sunglasses and a white top. The children, arranged in two rows in the foreground, are uniformly dressed in white button-down shirts, black bow ties, black pants, and dark sunglasses. Several of the children are proudly holding up white flyers or certificates. The group is standing on a paved surface under a park pavilion structure, with a green event tent, mature trees, and a clear blue sky visible in the background. — Mayor Jane Castor at Fair Oaks Recreation Complex in Tampa, Florida on May 9, 2026 Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

As she nears the last months of her tenure, Mayor Jane Castor is leaning into the opening of East Tampa’s 10.25-acre Fair Oaks Recreation Complex. Phase one opened late last year at 3400 E Louisiana Ave., bringing with it a 33,055-square-foot recreation center, according to a press release. Last weekend, Castor was onsite to mark a grand opening for a neighborhood that’s been begging for services since before she took office.

In a press release, Castor said the $34 million project “reflects what’s possible when we listen to our community and follow through.”

Ted Fowler, Director of Parks & Recreation, added, ““This facility will serve as a hub for families from more than a dozen surrounding neighborhoods while also creating meaningful opportunities for the community.”