The new Parkview Recreation Center opened Thursday in West Baltimore’s Penn North neighborhood, marking a $14 million investment in a community that long been under-resourced.
City and state officials celebrated the culmination of the project to convert the 2.8-acre site of the former Westside Elementary School into a new, 16,000-square-foot recreation center and park.
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott said the facility in Penn North will support a community that has historically faced disinvestment.
“This is about ensuring our young people and families have access to the world-class facilities they deserve,” Scott said in a statement. “We know this community faced intentional disinvestment for generations, so we’re being just as intentional in our work to create opportunity today. Projects like this one are proof that transformation is possible when we listen to our residents and work with them to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable communities.”
Parkview is the second of six new or renovated recreation centers that Baltimore plans to open this year as part of its Rec Roll Out initiative. It is also the first to have a park directly connected to the building, according to city officials.
Located at 2235 N. Fulton Ave., the new recreation center includes a gymnasium, catering kitchen, multi-purpose room, fitness area, and ADA accessibility. The community park offers community members a green space, walking paths, a picnic pavilion and a playground.
Those are welcome additions for Penn North resident Tamara Hall.
“I am hopeful that, just as Parkview positively impacted my life, this new facility will continue to help shape the lives of our young people — and even some of our more seasoned residents — by providing opportunities for growth, leadership, fellowship, and community engagement,” Hall said in a statement.
The project received federal, state, and local funding, including $11.3 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant, administered by Baltimore’s Department of Housing and Community Development, Maryland’s Project Open Space, Maryland’s Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure fund, and Baltimore City.
Maryland Sen. Antonio Hayes, who represents the state’s 40th District in Baltimore City, grew up in Penn North, so he knows “firsthand what access to safe spaces and opportunity mean for a young person,” he said.
“Communities like this have too often been overlooked and counted out, but today we are sending a different message,” Hayes said. “This neighborhood matters and deserves real investment. From housing redevelopment to more than $70 million invested along the West North Avenue corridor, this ribbon cutting represents more than one building. It represents belief in the future of Penn North.”
