Tampa's Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory first opened on Dec. 8, 1941. Now, with $30 million in upgrades, the building has re-emerged as the Jewish Community Center.
- New Jewish Community Center opens in Tampa at 522 N. Howard Ave
- 110,000-square-foot building will be a multi-use facility
- Anyone can join, with membership starting at $48 for kids
- A look back at the Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory
“We have taken the property over and have given rebirth to it,” JCC executive director Jack Ross said. “Our community is proud and privileged to have restored a Tampa landmark.”
Ross said Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders camped on the property before the armory was built. That rich history continued after World War II.
“In the post-war years, we had the likes of Elvis Presley singing here,” Ross said. “Martin Luther King spoke here, and four days before his assassination, John F. Kennedy.”
The JCC features a hardwood floor gym that’s open to the barrel roof. The gym is surrounded by an elevated indoor track and modern fitness center. The Mezrah Family Aquatic center has a 25-yard heated competition pool along with other amenities.
“The City of Tampa moved their city arts center over to our facility,” Ross said. “We have the full spectrum of fine arts that are being offered with indoor kilns and outdoor kilns and jewelry making.”
The official name of the facility is the Bryan Glazer Family JCC. The Buccaneers co-chairman donated $4 million to the project.
The 110,000-square-foot building also has an event space to watch films or for dinners.
“We truly are not only situated geographically, but in terms of luxury and flexibility, to be Tampa’s premier events center,” Ross said.
The building is divided into a public and members side. Only members can access the gym and pool. Anyone can join the JCC with membership costs for youths starting at $48.