Tampa to open all parks

TAMPA — Come Saturday, Tampa, your neighborhood park and some big riverfront draws like Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Curtis Hixon and Waterworks will all be open for your enjoyment.

So will Ballast Point Park on the southern end of Bayshore Boulevard.

Mayor Jane Castor’s administration announced the full reopening Thursday afternoon. It comes more than a week after the city reopened 13 of its park trails, dog parks and beaches (with some confusion about the timing of the beach reopenings.)

Residents will be able to use tennis, pickleball and racquetball courts if they limit it to two people per court. Sorry, hoopsters, the basketball courts weren’t on the list of amenities listed for reopening in a city news release.

Picnic shelters, playgrounds, outdoor exercise equipment, volleyball courts and splash pads will also remain closed. And rowers who use the boathouse at Julian B. Lane will have to wait to skim over the Hillsborough River. That facility remains closed for now, said Ashley Bauman, city spokeswoman.

Kayak and canoe launches will be open, as will athletic fields, disc golf courses and skate parks.

Restrooms will be open, too.

The city urges all park-goers to practice social distancing and keep groups to fewer than 10.

Here’s what the release says about city pools:

The following year-round pools will also be open beginning May 16, but limited to lap swimming by appointment only, while participants adhere to social distancing guidelines.

· Bobby Hicks, 4120 W Mango Ave., 33616

· Cuscaden, 2900 N 15th St., 33605

· Cyrus Greene, 2101 E Dr. MLK Blvd., 33603

· Del Rio, 10105 N Boulevard, 33603

· Interbay, 4321 W Estrella St., 33629

· Loretta Ingraham, 1611 N Hubert Ave., 33607

· Roy Jenkins, 154 Columbia Dr., 33606

· Sulphur Springs, 701 E Bird St., 33604

To reserve your lap swim time, please call the pool you would like to utilize. Appointments can be made for the current day only and will be limited to a maximum one hour session. For pool hours and contact information visit http://bit.ly/TpaPools.

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