The indoor pool at the Metropolitan Recreation Center, at 261 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, will stay closed until late 2027, NYC Parks told Brooklyn Community Board 1 at a September 8 public hearing, and in a Nov. 10 update to the board the agency again listed the reopening as on track.

The recreation center and its pool have been closed since December 2024, when NYC Parks detected elevated ozone levels in the building. Ozone is a respiratory irritant that can cause coughing, throat irritation, chest pain and breathing difficulties on extended exposure, and the failure of the center’s dehumidification equipment reduced the system’s ability to keep air quality at safe levels, NYC Parks said. The agenda listed Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Martin Maher as the presenter for the update.

NYC Parks laid out a phased plan to reopen the facility. The first phase, short-term upgrades completed in June 2025, brought fresh air into the natatorium and adjacent offices and added heat pump air conditioning units in the lobby, exercise room and dance room. The work did not improve air quality enough to pass a July 2025 re-test, and the testing agency will not re-test the building until larger improvements are finished, NYC Parks said.