Mayor Adams and city officials celebrate the announcement of renovations to the Brownsville Recreation Center. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
On July 10, 2024, Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials celebrated the announcement of the $160 million reconstruction of Brownsville Recreation Center and the $15 million project to improve cleanliness in 62 parks citywide.
The Brownsville Recreation Center, created in 1955, is located at 1555 Linden Boulevard Brooklyn, NY 11212. The current facility is closed for the remodeled center’s planning, design, and construction. During this time, the Parks Department will open interim spaces in Brownsville to provide community members access to the classes and resources that the recreation center provides. The remodeled center will be designed with Brownsville community feedback. The construction will be done by the New York City Parks Department and the New York City Department of Design and Construction. The renovation of the 70-year-old Brownsville Recreation Center will cost the city $160 million.
In addition to the rec center renovations, the NYC Parks Department is leading the second shift program to improve the cleanliness of parks. This program will cost the city $15 million and targets 100 hotspots within 62 parks. Through the program, the agency will hire 240 new maintenance and operations workers who will work from Thursday to Monday to help keep city parks clean over the weekends.
Mayor Adams said, “We came into office with a clear mission: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make our city more affordable and livable for working-class New Yorkers. And providing New Yorkers with clean, vibrant public spaces, particularly in neighborhoods like Brownsville that have long been overlooked, helps us continue to deliver on that mission. Our $160 million investment in the Brownsville Recreation Center will transform this 70-year-old complex into a state-of-the-art community space in the heart of Brooklyn. And because we’re focused on keeping our public spaces clean, too, we’re investing $15 million in a second cleaning shift at parks in all five boroughs. We came into office promising a safer, cleaner, more livable city that is equitable and affordable. The new Brownsville Recreation Center and cleaner parks are the next steps forward in our mission.”
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said, “New Yorkers across the five boroughs deserve public recreation spaces that feel safe and welcoming. This investment in the Brownsville Recreation Center and 62 parks citywide, helps the Adams administration deliver them. When people walk into their local recreation center or take their kids to play in a park, they should be able to feel the care and attention that has gone into those spaces — a symbol of a city that is joyful, safe, and attended to. My deep thanks to Commissioner Donoghue and the members of City Council who advocated for these investments and made them possible.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)