Baltimore is flipping the page from its Rec2025 rollout to a new decade-long strategy dubbed The Playbook, city leaders announced today, launched in 2020, helped renovate 25 playgrounds and open seven recreation centers and seven pools, and The Playbook is being pitched as the roadmap for the next ten years. Officials are framing it as a blueprint to expand neighborhood access to modern recreation facilities across the city.
“We have always needed a strategic plan for Recreation and Parks,” Mayor Brandon Scott said, while Rec & Parks Director Reginald Moore described The Playbook as a 10-year plan to build on that earlier work, as reported by WMAR2 News. The outlet also notes that the administration expects to formally unveil The Playbook in 2026, with the city’s Rec Rollout projects carrying over into next year.
Projects Slated For 2026
The city’s project pipeline has several big-ticket facilities targeted for 2026 openings: the Parkview and Gardenville recreation centers, the Bocek gymnasium, and a new facility honoring Congressman Elijah Cummings, plus another large aquatics center scheduled to come online. The city’s Rec Rollout page lists ongoing renovations at Chick Webb and Mary E. Rodman recreation centers and a steady drumbeat of playground and pool upgrades.
Funding And Timeline
The Playbook builds on roughly $120 million the city has committed to revitalizing recreation infrastructure, including American Rescue Plan Act dollars that have funded playground and pool projects in recent years, according to a city press release. The mayor’s office has cast those investments as part of the Rec Rollout that The Playbook will help prioritize and sequence across neighborhoods.
What Neighbors Will See
Local reporting on the Gardenville groundbreaking noted that the new center will sit next to Hazelwood Elementary Middle School and include a full gym, fitness spaces, and outdoor play areas, features that officials say are meant to serve nearby families and schools. WBAL covered the Gardenville announcement in 2024 and reported that the facility is expected to be complete in 2026, a timeline city officials have continued to cite as The Playbook comes together, as reported by WBAL.
What Comes Next
City leaders say The Playbook is designed to create a transparent way to score need and guide capital spending so recreation facilities are upgraded where residents need them most. Officials and the Recreation & Parks department plan to share regular updates and timelines on their website and social channels as projects move from design to construction.
