Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday, Feb. 9, announced the opening of the brand-new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

He was joined by NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura and several Caribbean-American legislators, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants; New York State Assembly Member

Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party and daughter of Haitian immigrants; Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman, the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants, who represents the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn; and Councilmember Farah Louis, the daughter of Haitian and Bahamian immigrants, who represents the 45th Council District in Brooklyn.

New York State Sen. Kevin Parker, representative for the 21st Senate District in Brooklyn, was also on hand.

The late Chisholm, the daughter of Barbadian and Guyanese immigrants, was born on Nov. 30, 1924, in Brooklyn and died on Jan. 1, 2005, in Ormond Beach, Florida.

She made history as the first African American woman to be elected to the US Congress, serving in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983.

In 1972, Chisholm also became the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

Mamdani said 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 mayor said 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.

Mamdani said 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, he said discounts are available for New Yorkers of all ages, and membership is entirely free for people 24 years and younger.

The center was fully open to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

For the first week, the mayor said all New Yorkers will have the opportunity to use the brand-new center for one free day of their choosing before becoming members.

“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,” Mamdani said. “This will be a space where the city meets itself, built to serve the people who call it home.

“Shirley Chisholm believed that politics should be accountable to everyday people,” he added. “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.”

Shimamura declared, “Central Brooklyn, cancel your gym subscription and join us at Shirley Chisholm, where we have state-of-the-art amenities at a fraction of the cost.

“This new center means that over 41,000 New Yorkers now have an affordable space to exercise, learn, and connect with their neighbors, a fitting tribute to Chisholm’s commitment to community investment,” she said. “This recreation center represents the very best of city government. Shared spaces like this make our city more affordable, more livable, and safer.

“I am so grateful to our partner agencies for their collaboration, and to City Council Member Farah Louis and State Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn for their tireless advocacy and support, making this center—the first in all of Central Brooklyn—possible,” she added. “Working together and with the community, we’ve created a space where all Brooklynites are welcome.”

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, said Chisholm was “not only a trailblazer and a champion for Brooklyn, but she was my mentor, my guide, and a constant reminder to lead with courage and conviction.

“Witnessing her name on a space that will uplift East Flatbush is deeply personal and profoundly meaningful to me,” said the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center is a living tribute to her ‘unbought and unbossed’ legacy, and a place where our young people can dream big, our families can gather, and our seniors can thrive.

“I look forward to seeing our community take full advantage of the variety of amenities this facility will provide,” Clarke added. “This center represents what Shirley Chisholm always fought for: community, opportunity, and a future where everyone has the chance to live healthy, safe, and full lives.”

Williams thanked the mayor, the Parks Department, and elected officials at the ceremony.

“There were no youth centers in East Flatbush, in this part … It was a shame that, as was mentioned, there are some communities that have a plethora of these [recreation centers], and there are some communities that have none,” he said. “This is a celebration with a lot more work to do.”

Bichotte Hermelyn said that, after years of advocacy, securing funding, and two years of construction, “it is deeply meaningful to see the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center finally open its doors to the community.

“This project reflects sustained partnership across government and a shared commitment to ensuring this space truly serves local families, youth, and seniors,” she said. “From early planning through completion, this effort was guided by community input and the belief that public investment must deliver real, lasting benefits.

“Named in honor of Shirley Chisholm, this center stands as a living investment in wellness, opportunity, and community connection for generations to come,” Bichotte Hermelyn added.

Louis said: “This moment is the result of years of advocacy, persistence, and a community that refused to give up on a vision for itself.

“The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center stands as a testament to what happens when residents, advocates, and public servants work together with purpose,” she added. “I am proud to have secured this $141 million investment to honor Shirley Chisholm’s legacy, and to represent a promise to every child and family in East Flatbush that they matter and that their future is worth fighting for.”

Parker said the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center is “a historic investment in Central Brooklyn and a statement about what our communities deserve.

“By expanding access to health, education, and creative opportunity for tens of thousands of families, it honors Chisholm’s legacy of equity and public service,” he said. “I commend Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his leadership and partnership in delivering a project that puts community access and opportunity first.”

Chandler-Waterman said: “As we celebrate 100 years of Black History, it is fitting that we are opening the first-ever facility of its kind in Central Brooklyn, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, named after a Black Caribbean historian with Bajan (Barbadian) roots who represented us on the Federal and State level.

“This space is a valuable resource for our community,” she added. “This is a moment of great pride where we, as leaders, need to continue her legacy to embody her motto — Unbought & Unbossed.

“This facility has been a longstanding need to provide our youth with a safe space,” Chandler-Waterman continued. “I’m especially honored to have been involved in the initial planning stages before my election, along with families impacted by gun violence, the youth, and my neighbors. I want to thank Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for laying this foundation, the Mayor, NYC Parks, and my colleagues for bringing this to the finish line, and for their commitment to investing in our youth and communities — allowing us to have the resources needed to live healthy and productive lives. This is a perfect example of ‘It is not an I thing, it’s a WE thing.’”

Mamdani said 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; and exercise rooms for cardio workouts, weightlifting, and spin classes.