Transcript: Mayor Adams Breaks Ground On Shirley Chisholm Recreational Center

October 16, 2023

Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, Operations: All right. We're here today to celebrate how giving New York City the tools to build better and faster really does improve the lives of New Yorkers of all ages. This project was funded in 2021, and less than two years later we're underway building the foundation of the state of the art rec center. It's actually going on right now behind that green work.

And for everybody's information, generally it takes us almost three years to get through design, we're done, we're building already. It's a wonderful, brand‑new facility, will be right behind us. It will include an indoor pool, I'm especially excited for that.

A public plaza. It will serve as a hub for fitness, learning and recreation. Not only that, it'll be green, it will have a green roof. It'll be LEED Gold certified. It'll be part of our overall city‑wide emissions reduction strategy.

And how did this all happen? It happened through a combination of extreme community advocacy and a little bit of revenge of the nerds — the revenge of the nerds part is called capital process reform, and that is advocacy that we all did together in Albany with our elected partners to bring New York better tools to build.

So, this project here was built through a design build. That's a two‑step process instead of the normal process we have to use, which is design, bid, build ‑‑ that's three steps ‑‑ logically it takes longer, it's less flexible. So, the two‑step process, as you can see, is faster, more cost effective and it doesn't sacrifice standards.

Thanks to the super support that we got from our partners in Albany, especially Assemblymember Bichotte, this year we won some important additional tools that will make building in New York City easier, faster and more cost effective. And more importantly, we got tools that will give us a more diverse group of MWBE partners. This will allow us to specifically focus on correcting the disparity within the disparity when it comes to MWBE contracting.

And I want to thank all of our electeds that are here today for their continuous support not just for building for their community but making sure that it is built right. And so we'll be working this year again in Albany to lobby for even more construction tools so we can accelerate projects that benefit communities throughout our five boroughs such as progressive design build, which is a one‑step process even faster than the two‑step process as well as CM build and CM at risk, because you should not have to wait a lifetime for a rec center or a bathroom. New Yorkers should not have to wait generations for libraries or for lifesaving infrastructure that keep high tides and torrential rains at bay.

So, there is much work to be done in this upcoming session, and with the help of our Albany partners we're reforming capital process to ensure better building for all. And with that, I'd like to introduce our commissioner from the Department of Design and Construction… Sorry, I blanked on that one for a minute. We're a city of acronyms, and so… When I have to get away from the acronyms I get lost. I'm used to DDC. Tom Foley. Thank you, Tom.

Commissioner Tom Foley, Department of Design and Construction: Thank you, Deputy Mayor. I hope this isn't the nerdy part, but absolutely delighted to be here, and I know others will be speaking about the legendary Shirley Chisholm. But I just wanted to, you know, commissioner of Department of Design and Construction, an amazing team of 1,200. We literally build cool things throughout the city; and here we are, and we're doing that here in Brooklyn, so we're absolutely delighted for that.

The deputy mayor had spoken a bit about the design build, and I want to just wanted to expand on that. In our usual world, we would be in design for three‑plus years, and here we are one year after we had initial… Our contract with our partners, quality based selection, [lendlease McKissick studio gang] and others, less than one year there's work going on right behind us, 30 people out there working, over 20 meetings with the community for local hiring, so expanding our goals here on this really, really critical rec center.

It'll have a swimming pool, a track. It'll even have a little yoga studio, really excited about that, a teaching kitchen, what have you. So, but really kudos to the teams that have been involved. I really wanted to thank Sue, Commissioner Donoghue for her partnership and to the DDC team for really pushing this through.

Two years from now we will be in a beautiful, brand‑new rec center. I'll be in there swimming. I'm going to bring my trunks that day. They might not be DDC issued, I might have to buy them myself, we'll see. And one of one of the things that...one of the quotes from Shirley Chisholm that really struck me as a career civil servant, graduated, you know, right from university right and started working for the city right away as an engineer, is that service is the rent that you pay for a room on this earth.

And I really wanted to highlight the amazing, amazing strong women — I don't mess with them, you shouldn't, either — but specifically managing, running this project every single day. So, delighted to have Daphne here, Lucy, Francois, Kayla, Jade and the strong women of DDC are going to make sure that this happens within the next 22 months. Thank you very much.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you. Now I'd like to call up our commissioner for the Department of Parks whose responsibility it'll be as soon as it's constructed to run and maintain this gorgeous facility.

Commissioner Sue Donoghue, Department of Parks and Recreation: Thanks so much, Deputy Mayor Joshi, and good morning, everyone.  What an exciting day for East Flatbush and Central Brooklyn! This is amazing!

It is great to be here to celebrate the construction of this incredible new amenity, the first new parks recreation center to begin construction in eight years. This is an historic moment, and it's truly fitting that this space will bear the name of Shirley Chisholm when it opens in 2025.

Shirley Chisholm was an icon of New York City, and she also believed that all New Yorkers regardless of race, gender, income or ZIP code deserved to be full participants in the political, economic and cultural life of our city. With this tremendous investment in central Brooklyn, this administration is bringing state of the art recreational amenities to a community that was neglected for so many generations.

The construction of this recreation center isn't just a correction of that history, it's an active investment in public safety going forward. Promoting public safety in a complex city like ours takes a variety of forms. Of course, it's the hard work of NYPD, our parks enforcement patrol, law enforcement throughout the city has been so important to keeping our city safe with overall crime continuing to trend down.

But protecting our communities also means creating lively, well‑maintained neighborhood spaces that are accessible to all that need them. By strengthening the bonds among neighbors and giving young people a place to have fun, our network of more than 35 rec centers across the city make our city stronger, more secure for all, help to build communities.

From fitness equipment to sports courts, even media education labs, our rec centers have it all. And at the parks department, we are deeply committed to maintaining and creating these beautiful community spaces across the five boroughs, and this investment in central Brooklyn is a great example of our commitment to this work.

Before I pass the microphone back to Deputy Mayor Joshi, I want to thank the partners who have made this incredible project possible: Mayor Adams for his leadership, New York City DDC who's been leading the construction of this project, led by the amazing Commissioner Tom Foley. I think we can get you a bathing suit at parks, maybe one for when this opens. We'll be happy to do that. Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Councilmember Farah Louis who both advocated tirelessly to secure this funding for this center.

As we work hard to create and maintain beautiful and safe public spaces that our city deserves, your partnership has been so important. Thank you all.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you. And as you know, this is an administration of many firsts, and next I'd like to invite up to the microphone a real and extremely important first for the administration, our first chief business diversity officer, Michael Garner.

Michael Garner, Chief Business Diversity Officer, Mayor's Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises: Good morning. This is a great day. I hopped on the train, 125th Street and Lenox, Number 2 train to come here. It's kind of cold out here, it's chilly.

But this is a great day in Brooklyn. Former Congress lady Shirley Chisholm was unbossed. Can we talk about how she was the first Black female to run for president in 1968? A visionary. And this is a great day and a great period, because Mayor Adams has done everything that he said he was going to do with respect to minority and women‑owned businesses.

For the first time in history, Mayor Adams was the first mayor to get all of his MWBE legislation passed up in Albany with great friends like our assemblylady and our state senator, and we're going to do the same thing in the city council in a very, very short period of time because we understand that when you build institutions like this the local area must benefit also as well.

And that's with jobs and access to contracts. Access to contracts equals homeownership opportunities, job creation, better educational options and healthcare opportunities for the owners of these companies. And we just released our numbers. Mayor Adams was responsible for awarding $6 billion in contracts to minority and women‑owned firms last year, $6 billion.

And so we're going to start with the expectation of this rec center to be finished safely, timely, on budget and inclusion of all of our MWBE goals, no excuses. That's the expectation.

And so we are just gratified to be here this morning. It is a great opportunity in the era, Mayor Adams and Speaker Adams that share the same goals of maximizing opportunities for city certified MWBE firms with a focus on Black businesses, Hispanic businesses, Asian women businesses and all businesses. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you, Michael. Next, I'd like to introduce a partner without whose advocacy none of this would be possible, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn.

State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn: Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor Joshi. My name is Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and hello Flatbush! It is such a pleasure to be here in front of all of you, but hair to be celebrating a day that we've been fighting for today. Let's give a round of applause to all of you and to Mayor Adams.

Today's the groundbreaking of the Shirley Chisholm Recreational Center. I want to thank Mayor Adams, Senator Kevin Parker, Councilmember Farah Louis; and also, we have Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman. I want to thank all of our elected officials for putting this together, fighting, advocating for funds.

I also want to bring greetings to our commissioners here. You heard from Tom Foley, our commissioner of DDC. We also heard from our commissioner of parks, Sue Donoghue. We also heard from our deputy mayors. But I just want to thank again everybody for being here.

We also have a number of community advisory board members here, Flatbush residents, MWBEs, we also have members of the Brooklyn alumni chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Whoo, whoo! All in the presence of this historical step in breaking ground of this community hub, while opening up over $100 million in opportunities for our community, $100 million of opportunities, everybody.

Again, I am so deeply thankful of Mayor Adams. I am so proud that a promise for Flatbush and East Flatbush is finally being fulfilled, you know, because we are a community that's well deserved. We want access to resources. We want wellness. We want a swimming pool. You know, we want resources for our kids so that, you know, we get them off the street and battle, combat gun violence.

We want a place where our seniors, you know, can go to and help our youth. We want a place where we can bring opportunities for workforce; and again, a media lab which is going to be named under our late Dr. Roy Hastick who was the founder of the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce. We are just so proud. We are so proud because we are naming this institution after the Brooklyn born politician, the first African American woman to serve in Congress, first woman to run...first Black person to run for president in a major party, Shirley Chisholm. Shirley Chisholm. Let's give it up to Shirley Chisholm, yes.

Her contributions to her community and country live through her namesake, and her legacy will live through this recreational center. Let it also be known that Shirley Chisholm was a member of my illustrious sorority, delta sigma theta sorority. We know we have the president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Brooklyn chapter, President Kenya Johnson, all the sorors, we've got to give it up.

But also in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm legacy, we have been continuing to encourage and uplift MWBEs and the whole community through vast contracting opportunities. We see their faces. We see McKissack McKissack, we see Studio Gang. These are women, these are minority contractors who are taking the lead to build this institution.

And as the chair of the subcommittee it was vital for me, it was important for me to make sure there was equity, that we had job creations that this community was going to be participating in this, you know, not only as just residents, but people who can actually build, help build and earn and then maybe become an entrepreneur and be contractors to this great city.

Yes, and the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will be a pillar for our community, and we are so proud to introduce our community advisory board as a milestone for developing the center with benefits to everybody in the neighborhood. Let's give our community advisory board, you know, I just want to start out some names, you know, like Marietta Small who's been the president of the Flatbush Garden, who's sitting here with Ryan Wharton — I went to school with him.

Flatbush Garden, this is where it's going to take place. And I know there's Linda Turner who's here who was an advocate of making sure that the recreational center was at a place where it needed to be. We have our community leaders here, we have Community Board 17 president Rodrick Daley, and we have district manager Sherif Brown, we also have Community Board 14. Sherif, sorry, Sherif Fraser, sorry. . I am merging you, I am merging you with Jo Ann Brown, you know, that's what I did. So, but we do have Community Board 14, Jo Ann Brown here and Shawn Campbell. We have our Precinct 70 folks here. We have Ed Powell, who's the president. We have also Precinct 67 here. We have Hassan Bakarriddin who's representing the precinct council.

I'm not going to name everybody, I'm just throwing out some names. And I know we have to be thankful of our church this… The church here who is led by Pastor Dr. Samuel Nicolas, which is the Evangelical Crusade Church, and they were very supportive and making sure that this was a safe environment. And I also want to give a shout out to Principal Tiffany Frazier also who was very, very instrumental in making sure this is a safe environment.

Very important to understand that we have key people here, people from the neighborhood. Donald Day, Susannah Laskaris, we have NAACP members here like Joan Bakiriddin. I mean, we have people galore. And we just want to say that our community advisory board is not ceremonial, okay? This is the real deal. We appointed all of you to make sure that you are a mouthpiece to this fantastic, beautiful, historic recreational center. Any issues we are looking to you.

I also want to just note that. This is really important when we talk about people like the late Dr. Roy Hastick, we also want to make sure that we want people to be ready to work in today's technology world. And so the Dr. Roy Hastick Media Lab is going to give an institutional knowledge to our seniors, to our youth, to our people who are looking for jobs.

And I'm just really excited. I'm excited about the swimming pool. I'm excited about a commercial teaching kitchen for wellness. I am so excited because I need to get fit, okay? So, I'm going to come here to get fit… Drop some pounds.

But again, I want to thank as the chair of the MWBE and proud that this 65,000 square foot, $131 million New York City agency and design-build to meet the New York exceeding goal, 30 percent. You heard our chief diversity officer Michael Garner who's been really instrumental in making sure that we pass and push these policies. It was very tough this year, but we made it. We made a historic world record I would say or historic state record of passing these bills, of course, with the help of Senator Kevin Parker.

But again, I want to thank you. I want to thank, again, Mayor Adams, I want to thank Councilmember Farah Louis, again, I want to just make note that Councilmember Farah Louis took over this project and it was started by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams who I believe is here. Okay, he's here. Okay.

And I remember it was his vision. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, it was his vision when he started this over by Tilden. And when Councilmember Farah Louis took over, there was a vision to expand the vision and put it in a place where it was more dense, more population, and that it will be a place where everybody would embrace it.

And so I certainly want to thank public advocate Jumaane Williams for starting this, thank you so much, public advocate. And then I want to thank Councilmember Farah Louis for continuing the mission. Congratulations to you all. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you. And with that, we're going to bring up first Councilmember Farah Louis for your amazing contribution and carrying the torch; and then, a few words from our surprise guest public advocate Jurmaane Williams. Thank you.

City Councilmember Farah Louis: Good morning, everyone. I started this day feeling, I was shaking. I was, I can't believe that this is happening. So, let's give a round of applause to all of you that are here today for the ceremony.

I want to thank Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Joshi...sorry. Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn… Gotta put… My bad. Deputy Mayor Joshi, Commissioner Foley, Commissioner Donoghue, Commissioner… Mayor, Community Board 17 Chair Rodrick Daley, District Manager Sherif Fraser, Studio Gang, Lendlease, and welcome all of you that are here with us today for this monumental event, a life work for many people who think about this investment in communities like ours to gain investment for communities like ours and the legacy of the honorable Shirley Chisholm.

It is impossible to discuss the rise of Black and brown politicians in New York City or New York State without discussing Shirley Chisholm. She was the first among firsts. She was a leader and a voice. She was a child of the African diaspora with Guyanese parents. She was dedicated. She was Brooklyn. And in a world of quick information and memes, the unbought and unbossed is still inspiring us.

We are all familiar with the quote: if they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair — not the folding chair that I see on… Lately. All right. That's a different folding chair.

This is the day for building a new building to house the tables, chairs, labs, computers, tools, opportunities, jobs and dreams, breaking ground for a space to honor the legacy of Congressmember Shirley Chisholm, breaking ground to give the life of a center that will lean and lead new stars and icons.

Maybe we will see another run for president hailing from Brooklyn, and they will give love and notice to the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center. This is possible because of dedicated neighbors that rolled up their sleeves and worked, no walls, no doors, no no's were able to stop them.

And I have an incomplete list so forgive my head, not my heart. East Flatbush community members. Linda Turner, let's give her a round of applause. Jackie Williams, keep giving them a round of applause, [Bernadine Simon, Fitflin Noel. Paula Bailey. Carla Barker. Former CB17 Parks and Beautification Committee Co-Chair Sophia Francis. Bernice Haynes and other leaders, George Tate, Ronnette Cox, Allison Martinez, Hazel Martinez, Adele Benedit, Joan Bakiriddin, Hassan Bakiriddin, Aaron Pojo Ampaw, Mr. Skinner who's here… Where is he?]

He's the cutest, cutest little guy. And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge and give props to my predecessor, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams that started this process. Let's give him a round of applause.

I was recently quoted as stating investing in the district's residents is to invest in New York City's future, and that I am delighted to help secure $141 million in funds to expand and bring to life a state of the art community center. I stand by that vision, a vision that started many, many years ago with public advocate Williams.

It is the vision of this community and advocates and community members, and I stand on your shoulders. It is with earnest and honest thanks that I acknowledge the commitment of the electeds who supported this project, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn — don't forget the Guyanese, right? Thank you so much for your advocacy, for standing with me. I know this was not easy.

And again, I do want to also acknowledge former Mayor Bill de Blasio that started this journey with us. I would be remiss not to include him. I annoyed this man every day for months. I cried, I knocked on his door, I went and found out where he was staying sometimes when he was having lunch.

Mayor Eric Adams, let's give him a round of applause, and to his whole team. Tiffany Raspberry's here, Hercules is here, thank you for taking every annoying phone call. Thank you, Hercules, for taking every annoying phone call. Commissioner Foley and Commissioner Donoghue and Commission, mayor, please give them a round of applause.

I know we are so annoying. We sent so many e‑mails. But thank you. The democratic process and procedures are not perfect. We disagree. We challenge each other… She challenges me all the time, by the way.

But it is the practice of democracy that matters especially when it results in building a better future. This is an example ‑‑ and again, Brooklyn, we did this together — we've made a major investment and will leave a lasting legacy for central Brooklyn youth, older adults and families to thrive.

Thank you again, Mayor Adams, commissioners, Studio Gang, Lendlease. Are you ready to build the Shirley Chisholm 3.0 that includes a tech center honoring Dr. Roy Hastick and getting our youth to the next future. Let's do this together. Thank you so much, everyone.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you. And now I'd like to bring on our Mayor Adams, who's leading the charge to get this wonderful facility built, and I'm sure he'll be first in the pool.

Mayor Eric Adams: With my Speedos on.

[Laughter]

You know, really it's the continuation in the passing of the baton I think it's extremely significant because technology the fact that Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman from this city to be a congressperson and now we have women of Caribbean descent who are now not only running this community but in very significant positions of power.

And I think that Councilwoman Louis was very clear on the continuation of passing that baton from one step to the next and you know, to have all the real totality of what this is about. And we should not miss how we are able to accomplish this task of close to 50 percent is MWBE, who carried the MWBE bill and pushed it through up in Albany.

But our amazing Assemblywoman Bichotte Hermelyn. You know, I've got to...you know, I get lost on those hyphens, man.

When you look at the planting of the seed with the former councilman now public advocate, Jumaane Williams, when you look at now Assemblywoman… Former, was leading the East Flatbush Village, when you look at all the...Roy Hastick, that tutored all of us. All of us sat on his back porch and was focused on the things that we needed to do.

And so I'm sure Assemblywoman Waterman would tell you how many times he sat down and nurtured us. But let's not miss, and I don't see them here, but let's not miss the crisis management team, you know, okay, Elite Learners and others, you know, is so important because you can build beautiful structures that will remain empty if someone is not giving people the comfortability to come inside and participate in it.

So, putting up a building is only 50 percent of the process, we need those crisis management teams to go out there and nurture young people and tell them they don't have to just stand on the corner, they can stand inside a place where they can really get the support that they deserve. So, this holistic approach.

And to have what Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, is what she's doing with her team in DDC, and your team over at DDC with design build, moving these projects through. It just takes too darned long with the bureaucracy of government, and your team, commissioner, just really focused on, we've got to get this stuff done. We have to get it done because we're losing lives while people are intellectualizing sitting behind some desk somewhere in a sterilized environment of their office and being philosophical. No, put the damned shovel in the ground, man. Get these buildings built.

And you know, you have to really see what my partner in Brooklyn, when I was borough president, she was the park commissioner, now she… She was in charge of the parks in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Prospect Park, now we have her running the parks in the city. And we are at so many ribbon cuttings of doing this finding safe spaces. So, it's the team effort, all of us, the advocates, the leaders, the community coming together to do projects like this.

And not letting it be just Manhattan-centered. This is an outer borough working class administration, and that is all we focus on, how do we help people on the ground. And you're right, Councilwoman. It's not always easy, and we're not going to always agree all the time. And so what? We don't have to agree all the time. We don't agree with ourselves all the time. We have to agree on the overall items that's going to improve the livelihood and develop the full personhood of our children.

So, this is an amazing project. All those who are involved should be extremely proud of this great accomplishment. It's not going to solve all the problems that we're facing, there are so many. But it is one of the rivers that we must damn that continue to feed the sea of violence, the sea of uncertainty, the sea of lack of access. And we cannot do it if we don't put all of our energy together.

And the intersectionality of that focused energy of making this project go from dream to reality was accomplished. And really want to take my hat off to Mike Garner, Mike Garner who's doing all this MWBE work.

We must be because of those capital projects, and we have just begun. We have just begun to make sure the bill that the assemblywoman passed is going to cascade out. This is a great moment right now, and the energy and spirit of Shirley Chisholm is looking down and realizing how proud she is to see the seeds that she planted, this is the fruit of her harvest that we're continuing to move forward.

She's made it clear: you can't be a detached spectator, sit on the sideline and complain, you must get on the field and participate. And in order to get on the field, you must be healthy enough — so this is going to be a fitness center — we're going to need to eat the right foods, so it's going to be a learning kitchen.

And you're going to control the message, there's going to be a media operations so you can communicate to the people directly. Really excited about this. This is one of the things we want to continue to do in our city, and let's get it done. Thank you all. Congratulations to all of you for making this happen.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you, everybody. We're going to continue, because we still have a lot of important words that need to be shared. So, next I'd like to invite up to the microphone one of the founding fathers of this project, our current… Watch when I say his name, see what happens. One of the founding fathers of this project, our current public advocate, Jumaane Williams.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams: Thank you. Thank you. Peace and blessings, love and light, everybody. How are you, Flatbush!

Sorry I'm a little [inaudible] my invite came a little late. But I'm here. I just want to call out and raise up the name Kimani Gray. I want to lift up Kimani Gray. About 10 years ago, Kimani Gray was shot and killed on Church Avenue, and there it was a proverbial fire out on Church Avenue, our young people were expressing themselves in not the most constructive way.

And so a bunch of us went out there, and I want to thank Monique Waterman, I want to thank Farah Louis who were all a part in their ways of pushing this forward and the God Squad before they were the God Squad, before we had the crisis management system, some of us just went into the streets trying to see we can redirect the energy from the young people.

And one of the things that the young people said was, as we were telling them don't be in the streets right now, don't be in the streets so late. They said, well, where do you want us to go? And we said, that's a good point. Let's try to work on a place for you to go.

And then, and I'm glad that Councilmember Louis mentioned Michael Bloomberg. You know, him and I had a couple battles, but I always got to give him his credit: even in those battles, he gave this community the seed money… No, Bloomberg.

It was Bloomberg, definitely starting with Bloomberg, I'm going to give credit where credit is due, because as much as we was battling, he didn't have to give us that money. And he did, to do the feasibility study to see if we could even get this done. So, I want to make sure we give him some credit for doing that.

Now, we did community [inaudible], we did a bunch of stuff at Community Board 17, so I'm glad they're here as well. And we found some locations. But I want to thank and congratulate Councilmember Farah Louis, because she got some things in here that we were told we couldn't get, like a swimming pool. So, I want to make sure I give her credit for landing the plane on this not exactly where we originally had but in a place that everybody can use it.

Y'all may not know, some of y'all do. There's a lot of political stuff going on here right now, a lot of it. 

And we found some locations. But I want to thank and congratulate Council Member Farah Louis because she got some things in here that we were told we couldn't get like a swimming pool. So I want to make sure I give her credit for landing the plane on this. Not exactly where we originally had, but in a place that everybody can use it.

You all may not know. Some of you all don't. There's a lot of political stuff going on here right now. A lot of it. But everybody's here on behalf of the Shirley Chisholm Community Center, and that's awesome that people are coming together to make sure the community gets celebrated. But when it's doing what it's supposed to do and the investments that are needed, we know what public safety is, we know what it means to invest in public safety. This community center is a part of that.

So, I'm so proud to have helped germinate that seed, but even prouder because we're really leaders. We know the stuff may not happen when we're there, and we've got to make sure that people who come after us can finish it and get the credit that they deserve. So, thank you so much to everyone. Who's there? Marty? Who was Marty? Marty.

Oh, Marty. Yeah. You want to shout… Yeah, Marty definitely here, I don't know who, I guess Carlo didn't. Oh, that's Marty. Yeah. Yeah. Appreciate you, appreciate Marty. Appreciate everybody. This is a long journey, 10 years. Thank you, Marty.

Thank you to Mayor Adams for helping get the money we need to complete. I think he left, but I want to make sure I shout him out as well. And all of the electeds who are here. It's a lot of floppin' stuff going on, man. But I just want to get a hand clap everybody.

Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn, Senator Parker, Monique Waterman, our assemblymember, City Councilman Farah Louis, Flatbush! Flatbush! Let's stick together. Peace and blessing. Love and light, everybody. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you. And that demonstrates that sticking together in Brooklyn is pretty unstoppable. Next we're going to hear from our senator, Kevin Parker.

State Senator Kevin Parker: Good morning. I'm State Senator Kevin Parker. I represent the 21st district in Brooklyn. I'm the majority whip in the New York State Senate as well as the Chairman of the Energy and Telecommunications Committee.

Look, we're at the part of the program where everything's been said, but everybody just hasn't said it yet. And so that's kind of, you know, my job. And I certainly just want to add my voice toward just thanking everybody for being here. And let me just speak to kind of two things in particular, one of which is that the politics of what happened here. Everybody has been extremely polite about how this process went. I have been at meetings where I thought that there wasn't enough police at it because… And that was at the clergy council.

No, but you know, people really cared about this. They really invested themselves. People even though there were huge fights, people never stopped fighting. And that was the important part, is that everybody continued to show up for them, for their communities, for their constituencies and for this project regardless of its location. And so here we are at this place in this time. And I want to just echo that.

I think that Shirley Chisholm is smiling on us in this moment recognizing this harvest. But as you've heard the Mayor say, as you heard Jumaane and the council member and everyone who spoke say, this is not going to be a silver bullet. This is not the end all, be all. We're going to get this done in two years, but in the meantime, our young people still need a lot.

And so we still need to work with organizations like East Flatbridge Village and Elite Learners to make sure that their violence interrupters have an ability to address issues. We have to continue to...and the God Squad and the work that they're all doing. We also have to make sure that we open up more afterschool programs. Now that we have universal Pre‑K, we now need universal afterschool.

Right? And so we're not, you know, I don't know how many more of these, you know, a hundred million dollar projects Farah got in her, but… 

But we know we have a lot of schools that are fallow between three o'clock and 7 a.m., and so we really need to open them up, create community schools, create beacon schools, create programming, use… Partner with our nonprofits to in fact provide the kind of programs, not just for our young people but for community members that they need in this time.

And so, I'm here as a committed person to continue the fight that needs to be...that needs to happen on behalf of our young people and making sure they have access to the resources they need to become full fledged and productive members of our society; and most importantly, our community.

Remember Flatbush, you are the people who were here the day before yesterday and you're going to be the people who are going to be here the day after tomorrow. So, all of us must continue to bring good into the world and let no good be lost. Thank you to my colleagues.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you. Next is our Assemblymember Waterman.

State Assemblymember Monique Chandler‑Waterman: Hi, I'm New York State Assemblymember Monique Chandler‑Waterman, covering District 58, which is like right at the corner, right on these. And it was a former assemblymember, Nick Perry, I know who was here for 30 years, now the U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica. So, I cover East Flatbush, Canarsie, a little bit of Brownsville, a little bit of Crown Heights.

And thank you to my colleagues. Thank you to the councilmember. Thank you to our assemblymember, the senator, the public advocate, everyone that made this possible. Let's give a clap for the whole community. I know protocol was said.

One thing I want to highlight as we talk about the trauma of gun violence, as we talk about what's going on in our community, I need Maxine Lewis to stand next to me, a mom who lost her loved one, her son to gun violence. And when we talked it, you heard Jumaane speak about doing a center in the community, she was one of the first people.

We were looking at the video just now when Natasha Christopher, Mothers for Safe City, it was called Mother Support Group. I saw Pastor Gil Monrose is here, that they started that in the basement of his church that evolved with the 67 Precinct Clergy.

And they, the reason why funds are happening with crisis management groups and given to gun violence because sons like hers, unfortunately, was murdered because they did not have anywhere else to go. So, I understand the emotions of being here today.

And the unity of us coming together don't matter. I always say, you don't have to like each other, but we're here for one common cause: it's for our people. This is not a I thing, this is a we thing. And the thing has to start from today and continue building for our tomorrow because we won't have a future if our kids are not brought in today. This community center is about us coming together, and that is what Shirley Chisholm would've wanted. And I must say she's also from Barbados as well.

So, at this, right? Guyana and Barbados. And I just want to say, let's continue just moving the community forward. This is not our last stop. This is this one stop, because this is a multilayer issue that requires a multifaceted solution. And we are the change we want to see.

We need to stop asking for permission. We have the community center, we need another community center because those kids over there on the forties can't come over here by Flatbush Gardens and so on. So, we need to continue to bring community centers within our schools, but as a structure as well and demand the resources that we want to continue to see in our community.

So, let's gather around like this on a consistent basis to figure out the plan that's coming together. And clergy, please pray for us, because you are the gatekeepers and you're going to make sure you keep us straight and narrow as all the electeds, the community members, my Tilden crew over there, my Tilden Park crew, all of us come together.

I want to end with thanking my assembly District 58 public safety task force here, the 67 Precinct Clergy here, thank you so much for your hard work. East Flatbush Village Inc., Carvey Development Rights [inaudible] United Movement, and everyone here, Mothers for Safe City, that put this together and organized. Let's continue moving forward. It's not an I thing, it's a we thing, Your New York State Assemblymember, Monique Chandler‑Waterman.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: And next we'll hear from the chair of Community Board 17, Chair Daley.

Rodrick Daley, Chair, Brooklyn Community Board 17: In Español. I've given up those Español days.

Good morning, good afternoon. My name is Rodrick Daley. As I told you, I'm the chair of Community Board 17. I am… First of all, I want to give God the praises for this opportunity.

I know, you know, my mother and father wanted to make sure that I thank God first for all things that are happening because that's the start of everything for me. I want to thank all the elected officials, right? And I don't want to go through all their names again because the names have been mentioned so many times.

But I want to make sure that I shout out. Where's the public advocate? Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, our Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn — I didn't forget the Hermelyn — and Councilmember Farah Louis, Senator Parker and Monique Chandler‑Waterman, for all the work that they did to put in to make sure something like this happened.

I want to make sure that I also recognize our community board because going back and forth over the last number of years, our former chair, Joan Bakiriddin, who did a yeoman's job in trying to get this done. Hassan Bakiriddin, our members, J.L. James, Asshur Cunningham, our first vice chair, June Persaud, our second vice Ozni Lewis, and so and hopefully I didn't forget a name.

I also want to say, listen up. We want to talk about protecting our… I like to look at it as two tier, our youth and our seniors, our youth and our seniors. They are our most vulnerable population, and this community center, the recreation center that we're building will be providing them an opportunity, one, our seniors to get out of the house, because nobody spoke about mental health, but getting out of the house, right? It saves on mental health. Our young people for safeguarding.

I want to make sure that I recognize… I'm sick and tired of hearing about some other place in Eastern New York called BRC or Brownsville Recreational Center. Now we have the Shirley Chisholm Recreational Center. So, no more BRC business, right? So, hey, Flatbush, we're here. But I just want to...and no better name than to name it after one of the strongest women that ever was the face of the United States of America in Shirley Chisholm.

So, I'm excited to be part of this, our community board is excited to be part of this and the community advisory board is excited to be part of this. And thank you everyone for coming out for the support. And please don't just make today all this nice crowd coming out, but make sure that when it's built that we come out, we use it, and so they don't say they wasted their money to invest in seed. This is why we need it. We need it.

And last thing I want to bring out is jobs, the MWBE and making sure that that happens. Speak to the offices, make sure jobs come into your community. All of these people stand up, believe and it will happen. God bless. Can you have the crisis management say just a word?

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Sure. And we're going to I think we have a representative from Elite Crisis Management who's going to come up to the podium and say a few words. Here we go.

Kamara Jackson, Founder and Executive Director, Elite Learners: Good afternoon, East Flatbush. My name is Kamara Jackson and I'm the founder and executive director of a small grassroots community‑based organization by the name of Elite Learners. Elite Learners is proud to be here and represent our New York City crisis management teams and our partners.

This is our actual catchment area. We spend a lot of time in and out of Flatbush Gardens in the surrounding communities. Not only do we provide and keep our community members safe while we're out here, but we provide a host of wraparound services.

So, those programs that we heard Senator Parker talk about, we provide those programs. We partner with schools and we make sure that our youth and our families are fully covered, you know, just to receive the support and services they need.

I just want to thank all of my elected officials that stood here today and fought for the Shirley Chisholm Community Center to be brought to East Flatbush. Not only will it leave a legacy, but it will change the lives of many young people that are in East Flatbush, that are from East Flatbush, and those that will visit East Flatbush. So again, my name is Kamara Jackson, the founder of Elite Learners. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you, everyone for joining us today. The expectations are high that we'll all be in that rec center in a short time, under two years, I'm hoping. And again, the community that brought us together to this moment has to continue strong to keep the building and to keep the participation. Thank you so much.