From back left: Hillsborough County Commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers, former Judge E.J. Salcines, and his wife, Elsa, celebrate the reopening of Salcines Park on April 28. The park was named in honor of Salcines’ father, Emiliano. All photos: City of Tampa.
Salcines Park, named after a Hispanic civic leader and once considered the gateway to West Tampa, has a new lease on life after falling into disrepair.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) recently completed a $1.4 million revitalization project at Salcines Park. Local officials and stakeholders celebrated the 6,000-square-foot urban amenity’s transformation at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 28.
Dedicated in 1991, the park honors West Tampa icon Emiliano Salcines, who immigrated to the area from Cuba in 1918 and opened a department store on the site that subsequently became a cultural and political hub for immigrants. The city began a full redesign of the popular gathering space in April 2025 to ensure it remains vibrant and safe.
“Salcines Park, an important part of our history, has been beautifully renovated and is now ready for present and future generations to enjoy,” said CRA Chair Luis Viera. “The CRA continues to make life better, neighborhood by neighborhood.”
The entrance to a reimagined Salcines Park.
The project overhauled the park’s configuration while integrating new infrastructure to support daily use. Crews installed new steel pergolas to provide shade over tables and swinging benches, and improved fencing that matches the historic district’s character.
New lighting will also improve safety and visibility, while cafe-style tables and benches provide a welcoming atmosphere for community gatherings. Visitors will also see fresh landscaping, concrete, and pavers. The blue-and-white “Faces of West Tampa” mural remains a prominent feature.
Additional upgrades include interactive game tables and fountains atop the red-brick columned entrance at 1705 N. Howard Ave. The city gutted the area before launching the renovation project.
Attendees pose in front of the “Faces of West Tampa” mural, painted by Michelle Sawyer and Tony Kroll in 2018.
The restoration is part of ongoing efforts to revitalize the area. City officials unveiled a revamped Herman Massey Park, another CRA-funded project, a week before reopening Salcines Park.
Born in Spain in 1900, Emiliano Salcines moved to Cuba at 14 to work in a dry goods store run by his brothers. He arrived in Tampa following World War I despite not speaking English.
Salcines opened the West Tampa Department Store in 1941, which flourished and became a neighborhood landmark. He and his wife, Juanita, sold the business and retired in 1964.
Known as the “Mayor of West Tampa,” Salcines died in 1990. Tampa dedicated the park on his birthday, Feb. 9, 1991, at the site where his department store stood until the early 1970s. His son, former Judge E.J Salcines, noted that his father also organized the West Tampa Chamber of Commerce and Optimist Club.
“My parents, who are up here, are looking down very proud that West Tampa has not forgotten them,” said Salcines, pointing to the heavens.
Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency Chair Luis Rivera (right) helps former Judge E.J. Salcines to the podium.
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A marker denoting the site’s history as a political and cultural hub for immigrants.
City officials and stakeholders cut a ceremonial ribbon for Salcines Park.
