New Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center Opens in East Flatbush

The $141 million project is the first new city-run recreation center in 15 years and the first in central Brooklyn.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani cut the ribbon on the new 74,000-square-foot Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush, Brooklyn on Monday. The $141 million project is the first new city-run recreation center built in 15 years and the first in central Brooklyn. The facility includes a competition-size pool, gymnasium, indoor walking track, classrooms, a teaching kitchen, and a media lab.

Why it matters

The new recreation center is seen as a long-overdue investment in central Brooklyn and part of the city's efforts to address population loss among Black families. Officials framed the project as both a neighborhood investment and a tribute to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress.

The details

The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will be free for all New Yorkers under the age of 24. It sits within a 15-minute walk or transit ride of about 41,000 residents. Plans for the center began in 2012 under then-Council Member Jumaane Williams, but the project was later moved from its original site at Tilden Playground after community objections. In 2020, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council reallocated $141 million from the NYPD capital budget to fund the project.

  • The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will open fully on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
  • Plans for the center began in 2012 under then-Council Member Jumaane Williams.
  • The project received official approval in 2017.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The mayor of New York City who cut the ribbon on the new recreation center.

Shirley Chisholm

The Brooklyn congresswoman who in 1968 became the first Black woman elected to Congress and later the first to seek a major party's presidential nomination.

Jumaane Williams

The former Council Member who began plans for the center in 2012.

Farah Louis

The current Council Member who oversaw the project after it was moved from its original site.

Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn

The Assembly Member who partnered with the city to fund the project in 2020.

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What they’re saying

“This center will remain low-cost to all New Yorkers and free to anyone under the age of 24. Making New York more affordable also means government investing in spaces like this, where New Yorkers can learn, grow, and simply enjoy their time together.”

— Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City (Brooklyn Paper)

“For every young person who cried, 'Don't shoot, I want to grow up,' for every senior seeking a place for leisure instead of loneliness, for every resident seeking a place for wellness — this is yours. The Shirley Chisholm recreation center stands as a testament to what happens when community members, advocates and public servants work together with purpose.”

— Farah Louis, New York City Council Member (Brooklyn Paper)

What’s next

The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will host a free day for residents and showcase its new amenities during its opening week.

The takeaway

The new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center represents a long-awaited investment in central Brooklyn, providing a community hub with free access for young people and addressing concerns about population loss among Black families in the city.