Tampa Bay Buccaneers Field Opens Wednesday

A former parking lot is set to become the final piece in an athletic puzzle in North Greenwood.

After more than a year of work, the grass is in, the uprights are standing and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Field is ready for play.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, at the field, near 905 N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.

Hometown hero Leonard Johnson, who was part of the groundbreaking last June, will be at the opening along with quarterback Josh Freeman, cheerleaders and Captain Fear and city officials.

Other players on hand include Davin Joseph, Donald Penn, and Jeremy Zuttah.

The $300,000 project added two multi-use fields to space near what once was a parking lot for Jack Russell Stadium between the North Greenwood Recreation and Aquatics Complex and the North Greenwood Library.

The project is partially funded through a grant from the NFL and Clearwater for Youth. The Bucs chipped in $100,000 through the National Football League Grassroots Program.

The project was spurred by community leaders and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in 2011 who said the neighborhood was losing its green space.

The project added lights, irrigation, dirt, grass and uprights to the former parking lot.

The Greenwood Panther football and cheerleading program, without a home field for years, is expected to start playing there this season.

If you go:

What: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Field groundbreaking

When: 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 5

Where: 905 N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.

Related coverage:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers Break Ground in North Greenwood
• North Greenwood Recreation Options Could Expand
• Greenwood Parking Lot Could Become Athletic Fields
• Pitch for North Greenwood Ballfields Moves Forward
• North Greenwood Ballfield Nearly Ready for Cleats
• Football Camp for Kids Showcases Community Role Models
• Hundreds Come Out for Inaugural Football Camp

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