Overview:
The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center officially opened in East Flatbush, offering residents state-of-the-art facilities including a pool, gym, media lab, and teaching kitchen. The $141 million project, championed by Council Member Farah N. Louis and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, aims to serve over 41,000 New Yorkers and honor Shirley Chisholm’s legacy.
The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center officially opened to the public on February 10 in East Flatbush, becoming the first new Parks rec center in Central Brooklyn in more than a decade and the borough’s largest facility. The $141 million center is expected to serve over 41,000 residents within a 15-minute walk or transit ride.
Council Member Farah N. Louis, who spearheaded the project, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani led the grand opening on February 9 alongside local and state officials, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Kevin Parker, and Assemblymembers Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Monique Chandler-Waterman.
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Council Member Farah N. Louis speaks at the opening ceremony of the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center on February 9, 2026. Screengrab from a video courtesy of City Hall.
The 74,000-square-foot facility offers a six-lane pool with accessible entry, a three-lane walking track, a full-size gym, cardio and weight rooms, multipurpose spaces, a teaching kitchen, dedicated teen areas, and the Dr. Roy A. Hastick Sr. Media Lab for A/V production.
Mayor Mamdani called the center a “living tribute” to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and Brooklyn native, highlighting the facility as a hub for community engagement, wellness, and learning.
Council Member Louis emphasized the years of advocacy, securing funding, and collaboration with city agencies that made the project possible, describing it as “a testament to what happens when residents, advocates, and public servants work together with purpose.”
NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura praised the project for expanding affordable, accessible recreation in Central Brooklyn. Meanwhile, DDC Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle noted that using the design-build method accelerated construction by three years and exceeded city goals for minority- and women-owned business participation.
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