Tony Dapolito Rec Center: New Evidence Confirms It Can Be Repaired

Last Sunday, over 100 neighbors rallied at the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center as newly obtained FOIL records were made public—confirming what many have said all along: the Center can be repaired.

VID-endorsed District Leader candidate Sommer Omar, a leading advocate for preserving the Center, obtained the FOIL records and presented them at our April membership meeting. The documents include an assessment recommending repair over demolition, a 50+-page reconstruction plan detailing how the building can be modernized, and an email from a NYC Parks architect explicitly stating that the Center “can be fully repaired.”  Recent coverage in amNewYork and Our Town Downtown has helped bring broader attention to this fight. Thank you to everyone who continues to show up. We’ll keep pushing until the Center’s doors are open again.