Update on Red Hook Rec Center and Ballfields, by Brian Abate

The Red Hook Recreation Center has remained closed despite getting a temporary boiler after the previous boiler sustained damage during Hurricane Ida in September.

The rec center originally closed indefinitely due to the boiler. After some in the community complained, there was initially hope that it could re-open on December 27^th. That date got pushed back to January 3rd. However, for now, the recreation center remains closed due to COVID-related issues.

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A member of the Parks Department told me she hopes the recreation center will be able to re-open within the next two weeks but couldn’t give a definite date.

“It’s been so frustrating,” said David Small, a Red Hook resident who relied on the recreation center to get exercise. “I’ve sat through two-hour meetings, I’ve called every day, and it seems like politicians are patting themselves on the back without getting results.”

With the Red Hook Recreation Center closed, residents have to go to the Sunset Park Recreation Center which is located at 4200 7th Ave., 2.6 miles away. It’s a two bus commute.

“I have health issues that make it tough for me travel so it’s really disappointing that even though there’s a new boiler, the rec center is still closed,” Small said.

Some good news

Though the latest news regarding the recreation center is disappointing, the good news is that some of the Red Hook ballfields are now open. The fields have been closed for years after toxins were discovered in the soil in the fields.

Though there hasn’t been a grand re-opening, people are already using the fields and I spoke to a few people who were there playing soccer.

“I was pretty young when the fields closed down so we had to find other places to play for all these years,” said Jonathan, a Red Hook resident. “It’s convenient to have the fields open right now especially since not too many people have been using them yet.”

Though the fields aren’t too crowded yet, it’s nice to see them being used after they were closed for so many years.

“It’s been a long time coming for sure,” Johnathan said.