In an area of downtown Tampa that was once part of the bustling Central Avenue Black business district, a historic building has undergone a powerful transformation.
Kid Mason Community Center, which opened during segregation in August 1946 as the city’s first recreation center for Black residents, has emerged from a top-to-bottom renovation as a revitalized community gathering place.
In February, the City of Tampa and the community celebrated the grand reopening of the center after a renovation project that started in August 2023.
“It was past due,” Tampa Parks and Recreation Department Communications Coordinator Lawrence Hollyfield says. “We always want to present the best facilities we can and upgrade when needed.”
Everything inside the center feels brand new after $2.6 million in upgrades funded by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. Improvements include a new computer lab, fenced-in play area, kitchen upgrades, new restrooms, and an enclosed entrance with check-in for guests. Outdated spaces were reimagined with storage rooms turned into programming rooms. Water, sewer, and electrical systems were completely upgraded. Energy efficiency systems were installed. Every inch of the building was brought up to modern building standards.
A Hillsborough County historical marker unveiled during the grand reopening of the Art Deco-style building shares details on the life and influence of the community leader for whom the center is named.
Kid Mason Fendall was "a prominent Black businessman who owned a store on Central Avenue two blocks to the north of the recreation center,” the marker reads.
“Fendall sold a wide variety of items at his shop for all ages. An avid baseball fan and part-time umpire, his store's motto was, ‘After the game, Kid Mason's the name, for pleasure the same.’ The city renamed the recreation center after ‘Kid’Mason Fendall in 1959, one year after his death.”
Fendall helped establish the Hillsborough County Industrial Home and raised money for a playground for the children of the Central Avenue area, according to the City of Tampa.
For families living and working in the area, the community center that bears his name is more than a building. It’s a safe and welcoming space where kids can gather after school and during the summer. And now, with senior programming on the horizon and a growing list of rental requests, the center is becoming a community gathering place.
“The renovation brought a lot of positive energy with it,” Hollyfield says. “The Kid Mason Center is giving great things to the community and will only improve as we grow.”
Community feedback from the ribbon-cutting echoed that sentiment, with visitors praising the refreshed space and sharing gratitude and ideas. The Kid Mason Center averages an estimated 15,000 visits annually, according to the Parks and Recreation Department. Many community members see the center as a cornerstone of neighborhood life and come there regularly.
A few blocks to the west, Herman Massey Park, 1002 N. Franklin St., is undergoing a complete renovation intended to transform the underused urban park into a vibrant community space.
The Tampa Downtown Partnership’s 2021 Franklin Street Visioning Document, which looked at ways to revitalize the downtown corridor, said Herman Massey Park offered abundant shade, a large brick plaza space, and a dog park area.
“However a lack of pedestrian amenities like benches and adequate lighting leave it largely unactivated,” the report continued
The ongoing renovation adds a 3,200-square-foot raised deck with furniture, an improved dog park, and public art, along with fencing, lighting, and landscaping upgrades. Tam[a’s CRA is funding the $2 million project, which is expected to finish in late October of this year.
For more information, go to Tampa recreation centers and Herman Massey Park project
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