East Flatbush officially has bragging rights. On Sunday, March 8, local leaders and neighborhood residents gathered to salute the teams behind the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, a $141 million, roughly 74,000-square-foot complex that is now the largest recreation center in Brooklyn. The building quietly opened to the public in early February after more than a decade of community advocacy.
Officials and honorees
The recognition event brought out a full roster of elected officials, agency leaders and community partners, who handed out certificates to the builders, designers and neighborhood advocates who pushed the project over the finish line. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined Councilmember Farah Louis and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn on stage during the ceremony, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
Ribbon cutting and first week
City officials cut the ribbon in early February, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani leading a ceremony on February 9. The center opened to the public the next day, February 10, and Parks rolled out a free day during the first week so neighbors could roam the halls, check out the facilities and size up their new community hub. The Mayor's Office noted that the center is expected to serve more than 41,000 New Yorkers who live within about a 15-minute walk or transit ride.
What’s inside
This is not your basic rec center. Inside, visitors will find a six-lane competition pool equipped with accessibility aids, a three-lane walking track, a full-size gymnasium, multiple fitness rooms and a teaching kitchen. The building also includes dedicated youth and teen spaces and the Dr. Roy A. Hastick Sr. Media Lab for audio and video production. The NYC Department of Design and Construction has announced that the facility is the city’s first public building to hit LEED v4 Platinum standards for sustainability, with renderings and technical details available from the NYC Department of Design and Construction.
From idea to reality
Advocates describe the center as the product of more than ten years of organizing. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams recalled that the concept took shape when he and Councilmember Farah Louis worked alongside neighbors and local stakeholders to push for a central Brooklyn recreation hub. The $141 million project advanced under the city’s design-build delivery approach and moved forward with capital funding championed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, according to reporting from Brooklyn Paper.
Neighborhood groups and Parks staff are now lining up programming and registration events, with membership discounts and free access for anyone 24 and under expected to keep the center within reach for local families. The March 8 recognition ceremony drew family members and construction crews back to the plaza, where attendees looked ahead to the building’s role as a neighborhood hub for sports, learning and jobs in East Flatbush.
