Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center to be Built in Honor of the Late Caribbean-American Congresswoman

NEW YORK, New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams has broken ground for the  new US$141 million Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in honor of the late Caribbean-American Congresswoman.

Mayor Eric Adams, fifth from right, join in breaking ground for new Shirley Chisholm center (CMC Photo)The new state-of-the art center is named for Chisholm, who was born in Brooklyn to Barbadian and Guyanese immigrants. She was the first African American woman to serve in the US Congress and also made history as the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president of the United States from one of the two major political parties, the Democratic Party. The other is the Republican Party.

Adams said Chisholm’s contributions to her community and country are reflective of her desire to affect change.

“Shirley Chisholm inspired millions of young girls to pursue dreams they never thought possible, and when the Shirley Chisholm Recreational Center opens, her name will once again inspire another generation, while providing the residents of East Flatbush with a state-of-the-art recreational center that honors the rich history and heritage of this vibrant community.

“I am especially pleased to see that the media lab will bear the name of a personal friend and mentor, Dr. Roy Hastick (the late Grenadian-born founder and president of the Brookyn-based Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry), who was a true champion of the Caribbean community in East Flatbush,” Adams added.

He said with this project “our administration is using all the tools at our disposal to deliver amenities for New Yorkers more quickly and efficiently than ever before”.

New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue also joined in the ground-breaking ceremony on Monday as well as Caribbean-Americans New York City legislators Farah N. Louis, Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

DDC is managing the construction on behalf of NYC Parks and “Shirley Chisholm dared to be a catalyst of change, and this state-of-the-art recreation center will be the inspirational starting blocks for the next generation of New Yorkers to make their mark in the history of our city and beyond,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations, Meera Joshi.

“Thanks to DDC’s design-build program, we will complete this project two years faster than under design-bid-build contracting, and with higher M/WBE utilization rates,” she added.

DDC Commissioner Foley said “this project is not only a monument to the famed civil rights leader Shirley Chisholm, it also represents a milestone in city construction as we continue to implement design-build in our capital programme.

“The design-build method involves contracting teams’ designers and builders together as one unit, leading to fewer delays and conflicts, better problem solving, and faster and more efficient projects,” he said.

“Using design-build, we plan to complete the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center by the end of 2025 – two full years faster than would be expected with lowest bidder contracting,”said NYC Parks Commissioner Donoghue.

On its completion at the end of 2025, Adams said the center will offer a host of programming offerings and amenities to encourage learning, recreation, and community and civic engagement.

The center’s features will include multipurpose rooms; a gymnasium; a walking track; an indoor swimming pool; fitness, strength, and cardio rooms; and a teaching kitchen.

The mayor said the project is part of DDC’s design-build pilot program.