Construction of a new multi-use community center in Brownsville is set to wrap up in 2026 after it was built in “record time,” city officials said last week.
The city threw a “topping off ceremony” at the Brownsville Multi-Service Center on Feb. 18 after the last part of the center’s concrete frame was placed. While the structure doesn’t look like much now, it’s slated to become a 60,000-square-foot, four-story facility with various community spaces and amenities.
“This $128 million facility will directly benefit the people of Brownsville with new sustainable community space built in record time,” said Thomas Foley, commissioner of the city’s Department of Design and Construction, in a statement.
The 444 Boyland St. facility, built in place of an old city-owned community center, will offer several conference rooms, a teaching kitchen, and a 1,600-square-foot community garden, plus green roofs on the second, third, and fourth floors.
It will also be equipped with solar panels as part of a sustainable pilot project in line with the city’s Climate Resiliency Guidelines, and is expected to be the new home of Brooklyn Community Board 16 — which was previously housed in the old community center.
The building and garden will be decorated with works by local artist Jazmine Haynes as part of the city’s Percent for Art Program.
“With Jazmine Hayes’ extraordinary Percent for Art commission, ‘I Am Protected,’ the artist has worked with local community members to create multiple installations throughout this amazing new multi-service center, giving residents the opportunity to see themselves and their community represented in the artist’s dynamic vision,” said Laurie Cumbo, commissioner of NYC Cultural Affairs, in a statement.
Officials credited the expedited construction timeline – and $10 million in savings — to the city’s new Design-Build process.
Traditionally, the city awards two separate contracts for the design and construction of new projects — meaning more proposals, paperwork, and a longer timeline. With Design-Build, one contract is awarded for the entire project. If the Brownsville Multi-Service Center is finished in 2026, as planned, just three years will have passed between demolition of the old building and the unveiling of the new one.
In a Feb. 20 statement, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said the “milestone” was a mark of success for the entire program.
“Today’s major construction milestone at Brownsville Multi-Service Center demonstrates that with the right tools, announcing a project and waiting years to see progress can be a thing of the past,” Joshi said. “Design-build is already showing tremendous potential, shaving decades off capital projects at NYC DDC, NYCHA, and NYC H+H – and avoiding millions in unnecessary costs.”
Construction is slated to wrap in spring 2026, officials said.
Aside from the Multi-Service Center, Brownsville is set to receive another new community center in the coming years, after Mayor Eric Adams allocated $160 million for the total demolition and reconstruction of the Brownsville Recreation Center last year.
