Underpass Pickleball, Anyone?
The spaces under highway overpasses can be pretty underwhelming—mostly just footpaths and litter. But around Tampa, plans are afoot to transform these underpasses into really cool community spaces.
A fun underpass between Downtown and Ybor City is where dogs romp and play at the Deputy John Kotfila Jr. Memorial Dog Park running between Downtown and Ybor City. It’s shady and covered—perfect for drizzly or too hot days.
And Tampa’s city planners took ideas from Miami’s amazing Underline, a 10-mile linear park running beneath the Metrorail, to develop our own 4.5-mile project, which will include a significant makeover to each underpass in the stretch.
Great dog parks are always popular, but in a recent survey, the Palma Ceia Neighborhood Association overwhelmingly requested pickleball courts and a farmer’s market for the underpass at Bay-to-Bay and MacDill. As one South Tampa resident put it, the Crosstown will no longer just serve the community, it will be part of it.
FDOT plans to outfit underpasses along I-275 with enhanced lighting and art installations to turn these areas into integrated community spaces.
Downtown St. Pete is also planning improvements at the I-75 connection. There’s talk of a continuous trail, pop-up parks and safer, more comfortable crossings into surrounding neighborhoods.
