Momentum continues to grow for preserving the landmarked Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, which the Parks Department wants to destroy in spite of Mayor Mamdani’s campaign promise to preserve it. A broad coalition of downtown community and political organizations have called on Mayor Mamdani and the Parks Department to reverse course and repair and reopen the Center. This follows calls from New York City and State preservation organizations, Councilmember Carl Wilson and Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and Village Preservation and the Coalition to Preserve the Public Recreation Center Downtown, which have been leading the charge to preserve and reopen the Center. 

The Parks Department says that it plans to demolish the beloved and landmarked Center because it wants to move all its facilities to a new, as-yet unbuilt structure at 388 Hudson Street, rather than keeping facilities at the historic building and adding to them with the new one, as the public has long called for. The Parks Department is also saying demolition is necessary because they have diverted funding that was allocated for the repair and reopening of the Dapolito Center to the new facility, Dapolito’s demolition, and other work in the area. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!

Community Board 2’s Parks Committee will be holding a public hearing next Wednesday, September 9 at 6:30 pm (in-person and virtual) on the Parks Department’s plans for a new recreation center at 388 Hudson Street. It’s imperative that we show up to testify, demanding that the plans for 388 Hudson Street include keeping or locating recreational facilities at a repaired and reopened Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, and that money allocated for the repair of the Tony Dapolito Center continue to be used for that purpose ONLY.

TO HELP: