Hillsborough County opened a brand-new splash pad at Kenly Park in East Tampa in late July, giving families in the East Lake-Orient Park area a free spot to cool off. Less than three weeks later, the county's own parks directory listed the 1,600-square-foot facility as closed for repairs.
The splash pad, located at 3101 N. 66th St., debuted with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 30, according to Hillsborough County, Florida Government. The installation includes a giant overturning tipping bucket, multiple water spray jets, rubber safety surfacing, synthetic turf, shaded seating, stormwater drainage upgrades, and a new sidewalk, as detailed by 6AM City. The project was designed to give local families relief from Florida's summer heat.
By August 18, the county's official parks directory showed the Kenly Park splash pad closed for repairs, just weeks after its public opening. Routine maintenance does occur periodically across the county's splash pads, though the timing of this closure came unusually soon after the grand-opening celebration. It remains unclear from county records how long the repairs are expected to take or what prompted them.
A Costly Amenity to Keep Running
Beyond the upfront construction, Hillsborough County's Capital Improvement Program budget documents estimate that operating and maintaining the Kenly Park splash pad will cost the county $110,000 annually, filed under project number C83650000. That figure covers the kind of upkeep — water systems, surfacing, and equipment — that can be tested quickly once a facility opens to heavy public use.
The new splash pad brings the county's total to 10, part of a broader push to expand free aquatic play across suburban and East Tampa neighborhoods. All county splash pads, including Kenly Park's, are free to enter and operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April through October, and 9 a.m. to dusk from November through March. County rules require adult supervision for children under 16, mandate swim diapers for infants, prohibit drinking the recirculated water, and recommend water shoes because surfaces get hot and slippery — with no lifeguards stationed on site.
Part of a Countywide Aquatics Push
Kenly Park's addition follows a pattern of recent county investment in splash pads. In December 2024, Hillsborough County spent $1 million to build a splash pad of the same 1,600-square-foot footprint with 14 water features at the Emanuel P. Johnson Recreation Center in Progress Village. The county also folded new splash pad amenities into its $10 million overhaul of Branchton Park near Thonotosassa.
Kenly Park itself is an 11-acre community hub in East Tampa that already includes a recreation center, basketball court, football field, open play field, playground, picnic shelters, and meeting rooms, according to Fun 4 Tampa Kids. The park serves as a gathering place for the surrounding East Lake-Orient Park neighborhood well beyond its newest attraction.
A Longtime Community Anchor
The park has served as a focal point for East Tampa residents during past civic and public-health moments. In April 2021, Kenly Park hosted a public town hall and free lead testing for neighborhood children amid concerns over toxic emissions from a lead smelter located a half-mile away, a meeting organized by County Commissioner Gwen Myers, according to PBS FRONTLINE. Decades earlier, in March 2004, county officials chose Kenly Park as one of three local recreation centers to receive a new Hillsborough County eLibrary kiosk, part of an effort to expand digital access in East Tampa alongside similar installations at the Mort and Palm River centers.
For now, families hoping to splash around at Kenly Park's newest feature will need to check the county's status listings before heading out, since the facility's repair timeline has not been made public.
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