First ever rec center in Central Brooklyn and now borough’s largest rec center will serve over 41,000 New Yorkers
For first week, New Yorkers can spend a full free day in the center to explore the indoor pool, dedicated youth spaces, teaching kitchen, media lab, dance studio, and more
Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center tour footage HERE
TODAY, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the opening of the brand-new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush. He was joined by NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Kevin Parker, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and Councilmember Farah Louis. The new center is the first new Parks recreation center in over a decade, the first ever in Central Brooklyn, and the largest recreation center in the whole borough. Located in the heart of Little Haiti, the center is expected to serve residents of East Flatbush and Midwood, with over 41,000 New Yorkers living within a 15-minute walk or transit ride of the new center.
The approximately 74,000-square-foot recreation center provides space for swimming, team sports, exercise, educational programming, and even A/V production in a media lab. Like all Parks recreation centers, discounts are available for New Yorkers of all ages, and membership is entirely free for people 24 years and younger.
The center will fully open to the public on Tuesday, February 10. For the first week, all New Yorkers will have the opportunity to use the brand-new center for one free day of their choosing, prior to becoming members. Parks is also hosting guided tours, registration events, and demonstrations to help New Yorkers experience what the new facility has to offer.
“The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will soon be alive with possibility — kids learning to swim, cook, and grow their own food; friends coming together on the court; neighbors of every generation creating and connecting, from the gym to the podcast studio. This will be a space where the city meets itself, built to serve the people who call it home,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “Shirley Chisholm believed that politics should be accountable to everyday people. In that spirit, this center will stand as a living tribute to her legacy — proving that when we invest in truly affordable, accessible public spaces, we can build a city that works for all of us.”
“Central Brooklyn, cancel your gym subscription and join us at Shirley Chisholm, where we have state-of-the-art amenitie
“The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center is a huge milestone in construction reform for the City and proves that design-build works,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle. “Using design-build contracting, DDC was able to complete the Center three years faster than would have been possible with traditional lowest bidder contracting. And 36 percent of the budget went to M/WBEs, exceeding our goal of 30 percent on design-build projects. We are proving that construction reform is possible and that design-build is fast and effective. Right now, we’re working, via design-build, on three new recreation centers in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens that will all see similar time savings.”
Now Brooklyn’s largest recreation center, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center includes brand-new fitness resources for New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds, including:
- Competition-sized 6 lane pool, including a ramp, chairlift, and stairs so all visitors can comfortably enter the water regardless of ability
- Three lane walking track
- Competition-sized gym perfect for basketball, pickleball, and volleyball
- Exercise rooms for cardio workouts, weightlifting, and spin classes
The center also features spaces for events, classes, and relaxation, including:
- Teaching kitchen
- Afterschool space with its own outdoor play area
- Dedicated teens-only space with supervision
- Dr. Roy A. Hastick Sr. Media Lab with a mixing room for A/V production
- Multipurpose rooms for events and classes
The new center is named for Shirley Chisholm, the Brooklyn-born politician who became the first African American woman to serve in Congress, representing Brookly
