Upgraded Fitness Room Opens at Red Hook East with Assist from the Nets

More than half a year after their local gym was shuttered, Red Hook community youth are back to working out again thanks to the efforts of a neighboring basketball franchise.  

A newly rebuilt fitness room was unveiled by the Brooklyn Nets on May 4 in the Joseph Miccio Community Center at NYCHA’s Red Hook East Houses. After the room suffered flood damage in the wake of Hurricane Ida in the fall of 2021, the Nets organization sprang into action to remodel the fitness area at the community center, where they have partnered on youth programming for years.  

The renovation, which included new treadmills, weight racks and benches, a bicycle machine, and other multifunctional equipment, was a “legacy project” of the Nets in commemoration of the NBA’s 75th anniversary. Three murals with community-focused themes were also installed as a backdrop for the space. 

For the NBA’s milestone anniversary, teams from across the league worked to restore sites in their communities, and the Nets knew they found their project after seeing the Miccio center damage caused by Hurricane Ida, said Mandy Gutmann, Executive Vice President of Community Relations and Communications at BSE Global, the Nets’ parent company.  

“We identified Miccio Community Center as our 75th anniversary legacy project because we have seen firsthand their impactful work and saw the tremendous need for support,” said Ms. Gutmann, adding that youth are able to live, learn, and play at the center. “Miccio’s work is vital to Red Hook, and we are proud to join our incredible community partners who all helped bring our vision to life. We hope that together we can continue to use the power of sport to make a lasting, positive impact and that this fitness center will inspire those in the neighborhood.” 

Roland Knight, Senior Program Director for the Miccio Community Center, noted that community youth are very excited to return to the gym, where they can have a safe, welcoming place to exercise and learn about staying in shape. In addition to offering free services for residents, the center aims to promote healthy living through a culinary program and also allow youth to engage with mentors from the community.  

“Healthy living is something that the community really needs, whether it’s eating properly, nutrition-wise, or just being active and being in shape, and this [fitness room] helps with that,” said Mr. Knight, who lauded the support of the Nets in bringing the resource to the Red Hook neighborhood. “It’s been a pleasure working with the Nets. I can’t begin to speak on how important this is to our community, and I look forward to continuing our partnership.”  

Jaritza Vazquez, Property Manager at Red Hook East Houses, was impressed with the improvements made to the workout area and believes local youth will be inspired to take advantage of the various wellness opportunities. While it was a challenging time when part of the community center was closed, the revitalized programming “can bring a lot of motivation and hope to Red Hook,” she said.  

“Opening these doors to the weight room in the community center will bring more children and teenagers to take care of themselves health-wise,” Ms. Vazquez said. “I think the most exciting part is that we have an organization which is so well-known wanting to help the community, and that means a lot.”  

The Miccio center’s new fitness room is currently open to the public from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays (the hours will be expanded during the summer).