Hillsborough Awarded $1.65 Million to Expand Veterans Resource Center

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough County Consumer & Veterans Services was awarded $1.65 million by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to fund the expansion of the Veterans Resource Center and add the Veterans Educational and Cultural Center.

The Veterans Educational and Cultural Center will provide programming and exhibits to educate the community about all eras of military service and the historical connection to Hillsborough County and the state of Florida.

The new 4,600-square-foot open-floor gallery will adjoin the existing Veterans Resource Center, which opened on Dec. 7, 2017 (Pearl Harbor Day). The Veterans Resource Center offers holistic services to veterans and their families, and along with local veteran services officers, and provides space for community partners like the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs and national veterans service organizations.

Hillsborough County will break ground on the Veterans Resource Center addition in mid-2023. The funding for the Veterans Educational and Cultural Center was championed by State Sen. Danny Burgess and State Rep. Dianne Hart.

The Veterans Resource Center is located on the grounds of the Veterans Memorial Park and Rear Admiral Leroy Collins Jr. Veterans Museum, which was established to provide a centralized location for all residents and visitors to memorialize and honor the veterans of all eras, including 14 war memorials.

Veterans Memorial Park, 3602 U.S. 301 N in Tampa, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission and parking.