Staten Island’s new $92M recreation center will include sports courts, indoor-outdoor running track, fitness center

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Everyone can use a bit more magic in their lives, and on Friday, a host of city officials broke ground on a new $92 million community center they hope will bring magic to Staten Island for generations to come.

Mayor Eric Adams led the ceremonial groundbreaking in Tompkinsville for the new Mary Cali Dalton Center, named for the Island’s former borough director of recreation for the Parks Department. When complete, the new 45,000-square-foot center will offer a variety of recreational amenities, including sports courts, four electric vehicle charging stations, an indoor-outdoor running track, and fitness and cardio rooms.

In his remarks, Adams recalled a catchphrase of Cali Dalton’s about “being in charge of the magic,” and how the new center will help bring a bit more to the residents of Staten Island.

“Something magical happens when you allow children and families to have space,” he said. “This recreational center is a fitting tribute to a leader and a community, and we know that parks are the great equalizers.”

The new recreation center is included in the city’s North Shore Action Plan, a city investment in the area worth more than $400 million and spearheaded by Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore).

Cali Dalton’s daughter and another of her namesakes, Mary Cali, shared a story of love, redemption, and honesty about her mother, who joined the Parks Department in 1999 at the age of 45 after a life of hardship and struggle.

Cali told the crowd of about 100 people about how her mom worked her way up the Parks Department becoming Staten Island’s borough director of recreation for Staten Island and a fixture at the George Cromwell Recreation Center, which the city demolished in 2013.

The new Mary Cali Dalton Center, which city officials expect to be complete by the end of 2025, will serve as…