New dog parks have opened along Tampa’s Riverwalk — providing another step toward the Tampa Museum of Art’s Centennial Expansion project.
This comes after crews relocated the Tampa Dog Run at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park to provide room for the museum’s new footprint.
There’s now a new park for small dogs and another for large ones between Curtis Hixon park and Kiley Gardens. According to the city of Tampa, this is nearly 7,000 square feet for pups. The parks feature shade structures, water fountains and oak trees.
According to the city, the small-breed dog park is 1,980 square feet, adjacent to the palms and Four Green Fields. The 4,900 square foot large-breed dog park is on the lower elevation, closer to the Hillsborough River.
More than $1.4 million was invested in the dog parks and other improvements. The money was part of a $24.75 million reimbursement grant approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency for the museum’s overall expansion, the city said.
Michael Tomor, the Penny and Jeff Vinik executive director of the Tampa Museum of Art, said the open footprint has brought a “renewed excitement” to the team.
“We are so pleased that the dog park relocation project was able to achieve two important outcomes: making the park a more accessible amenity for downtown residents, and laying the groundwork for a future where an expanded Tampa Museum of Art can serve more people, present more ambitious programming, and strengthen Tampa’s position as a leading arts destination,” Tomor said.
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City of Tampa’s Facebook
The small-breed dog park is 1,980 square feet.
Plans for the museum’s 77,904-square-foot expansion were announced in November 2021, according to a release. The goal is for the museum to be a “vibrant hub of art and culture.”
There will be a crystalline pier that will extend the museum to the edge of the river.
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It will create a series of interconnected multifunctional spaces. There will be a 150-seat auditorium, an art lounge, food services and dining space, a large event space and a proposed rooftop space. This will provide settings for various art and cultural programming, according to the museum. There will also be new outdoor sculpture areas.
The effort is anchored by a $28 million lead gift from Tampa real estate developer and philanthropist Dick Corbett. This is the single largest private donation ever made to a public art museum.
So far, individuals, families and corporations have donated more than $100 million, along with the the city of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the state.
The New York-based design team WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism is responsible for the museum’s expansion. It designed another urban dog park before — Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park in New York City.
With the dog park relocated, the museum is focused on site preparations, fundraising and construction planning before announcing a groundbreaking celebration. Fundraising efforts will continue during construction.
You can learn more about the Centennial Expansion project on the Tampa Museum of Art’s website.
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Tampa Museum of Art
Aerial rendering of the Tampa Museum of Art’s future campus. The new museum expansion and dual dog parks are designed to coexist as active and accessible public spaces.