PROGRESS VILLAGE, Fla. — There's a growing push for change in Progress Village.
In October, we heard from people who live in the unincorporated Hillsborough County community, who said they needed a larger space to gather.
Right now, their options are a local center that they said is too small and is often booked for sporting events and another space that they said is big enough but currently operates as a senior center in Progress Village Park.
At the time, the community met with the county leaders to learn more about plans to upgrade Progress Village Park. They asked leaders if it was possible to include a community center for all ages in those plans.
Related story: Calls for community center in Progress Village intensify as county works on West Tampa space
At a follow-up meeting on Tuesday, county leaders came back with their solution to the problem—telling the crowds that they will instead focus on creating outdoor spaces that can be used for gatherings.
"We're looking at options for event-style shelters that can be rented out for large group events and things that people can do, [and for] community gatherings," said Jason Mackenzie, the parks planner and development manager with Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation.
However, those in the community said they needed an indoor space for those gatherings.
According to the county, that kind of meeting space isn't in the budget—so the community is now turning to the Progress Village Park's senior center for help.
"So, we don't have a total solution. We are hoping that in the near future, we could work something out with aging services who has control of it," said Twanda Bradley, the president of the Progress Village Civic Council.
The county hopes to finish upgrades to the park by 2025.
