Residents and advocates rally to stop the demolition of the beloved Tony Dapolito Recreation Center
A Landmarked Community Space, Closed for Five Years, Faces an Uncertain Future
Nearly 100 residents, community activists and elected officials gathered outside the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center on Sunday, urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani to keep a campaign pledge and choose renovation over demolition for a landmark public space that has been shuttered for years due to structural issues. The rally, led by the nonprofit Village Preservation, also featured the release of government documents obtained through a year-long Freedom of Information Law request. Those documents, advocates said, undermine city claims that the center is beyond repair.
What Is the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center?
Located at 1 Clarkson Street in Greenwich Village, the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, also known historically as the Carmine Street Pool, is a city, state and national landmark built in stages from the 1900s through the 1930s. It includes an outdoor swimming pool and has been a gathering place for generations of Lower Manhattan residents, including the working-class and immigrant communities that have long characterized the neighborhood. The center was named after Tony Dapolito, a beloved community leader and preservationist. It has been closed for five years due to structural issues.
The Demolition Plan and the Resistance
Under former Mayor Eric Adams, the city unveiled a $164 million plan to transform the Clarkson Street corridor, including building a new outdoor aquatics facility on the site of the existing center and a separate indoor recreation facility across the street at 388 Hudson Street. Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez Rosa called it a transformational investment. But more than a dozen community organizations have consistently opposed demolition, arguing the building is repairable and that demolishing a landmarked structure sets a dangerous precedent. Community Board 2 issued a resolution in 2024 opposing demolition and citing landmark laws that prohibit demolition by neglect. Village Preservation has pushed for legal action against the Parks Department for allowing the building to deteriorate.
What Advocates Are Asking Mamdani to Do
During last year’s mayoral campaign, Mamdani made statements that advocates interpreted as support for renovation rather than demolition. The Sunday rally called on him to follow through. “Mayor Mamdani said he’s looking at everything with fresh eyes. He’s got to look at this with fresh eyes as well,” said Andrew Berman of Village Preservation. Assembly Member Grace Lee joined the coalition, as did groups including the Downtown Independent Democrats, SoHo Alliance, Village Reform Democratic Club and others. Hank Dombrowski, a swimmer at the Hamilton Fish Recreation Center, attended the rally in a swimming cap and goggles. “You don’t see people like all winter long. You come back and you just feel the community,” he said.
The Fiscal and Legal Dimensions
The Parks Department has said the city allocated approximately $100 million to reconstruct the recreation center. Advocates contend that money should go toward renovation of the existing structure, not a new build. The city’s position, at least under the Adams administration, was that multiple structural investigations revealed serious problems that made renovation impractical. Advocates dispute that conclusion and say the FOIL documents they obtained suggest the city’s assessments were not as definitive as officials claimed. Any plan to demolish the building would require approval from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, which would be obligated to hold a public hearing. Village Preservation has pledged to oppose demolition at that hearing. Village Preservation has maintained a detailed campaign archive on the Dapolito fight. The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission maintains information on landmark status and the demolition approval process. And the NYC Parks Department has published its own materials on the Clarkson Street corridor plan. City Hall has not responded to a request for comment on the rally. The outcome will test whether a mayor who campaigned on community voices and fresh perspectives will follow through when those voices conflict with inherited bureaucratic plans.
