| Park Slope Armory Rec Center Open |
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| Wednesday, 13 January 2010 19:37 |
Monday saw the official unveiling of the new recreation center at the Park Slope Armory in Brooklyn. The formerly underutilized armory drill floor has been transformed into a multipurpose athletic and educational center to serve the local Park Slope community, including the many area public schools. The YMCA of Greater New York will operate and provide programming at the recreational center.The $16.2 million renovation project was funded by $8.2 million from DHS, $6 million from former Council Member and now Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, and $2 million from the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office. “Today is a great day for all the partners who have worked so hard with the Bloomberg administration to create this fantastic recreational facility which will serve as a beacon and anchor in the Park Slope community,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs. “Today, the YMCA’s 157-year commitment to the people of Brooklyn is stronger than ever,” said the YMCA’s Lund. “We look forward to many years to come as the proud partner not only to DHS and the City, but to the kids, teens, parents, teachers and other residents who will really bring this beautiful facility to life, towards our shared goal of a stronger and healthier community.” The Park Slope Armory, which opened in 1895, has two distinct parts: a drill floor, which is approximately 50,000-70,000 square feet, and a garrison which once housed offices. Since the 1980s, an area of the garrison has been used as a DHS shelter for women experiencing homelessness. The size of the old drill floor made the space ideal for a variety of recreational programming offered by the YMCA. In addition to track and field, the facility will accommodate youth and adult sports such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, badminton, boxing, fencing, judo, table tennis, tae kwon do, handball, weightlifting, wrestling and aerobics. The YMCA will operate programs year-round, seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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