Rendering of the future Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center. Image Credit: Parks Dept.

The project will be the first “design-build” project for the Parks Department. On November 23, 2022, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Design and Construction announced the design for the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center in Tompkinsville, Staten Island. The recreation center will be located adjacent to the Lyons Pools and across from the site of the former Cromwell Center, the area’s previous recreation center which closed after a structural collapse in 2010. The former center was demolished in 2013.

The new recreation center will be a three-story 45,000 square foot facility which will feature basketball courts, multi-purpose areas, fitness and cardio rooms, a covered garage, electric vehicle charging stations, solar panels and other amenities. The Parks Department held two community input meetings for the design.

The project will be the first “design-build” project for the Parks Department. “Design-build” projects allow for reduced construction costs and time by coordination of design and construction through one provider or team over the traditional “design-bid-build” model. The design-build team of Kokolakis Contracting and ikon.5 architects were awarded the project. Construction is expected to break ground next summer and finish in late 2025. 

The project will be funded through a Mayoral allocation from the Bay Street Neighborhood Plan, a part of $250 million investment in housing, public space and infrastructure in Staten Island. 

The center will be named in memory of Mary Cali Dalton, the former NYC Parks Chief of Recreation for Staten Island who was dedicated to bringing recreational opportunities and programming to the borough.

Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue stated, “We’re so excited that this innovative design is complete and brings us one step closer to a brand-new recreation center for Staten Islanders.  Mary Cali Dalton represents the best of Parks, and we hope that this recreation center will continue her legacy of bringing folks together for active recreation and fun.”

Council Member Kamillah Hanks stated, “The closure of Tompkinsville Cromwell Recreation Center was a major loss for our North Shore community and I am so encouraged that plans for the new Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center are full steam ahead. The importance of safe, clean, and accessible recreational and fitness spaces — particularly in areas lacking such resources — cannot be overstated for the physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing of our district’s residents. Mary Cali Dalton was an incredibly special and beloved member of our community, known for her commitment to improving our borough’s recreational programming, and our new rec center being her namesake is a phenomenal tribute to her legacy on Staten Island.”

By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)