The Davis Center: Built With, By, and For the Harlem Community

This weekend, the Central Park Conservancy celebrates a milestone decades in the making: the opening of the new Davis Center at the Harlem Meer. It marks not just the completion of a major design project, but the fulfillment of a long-standing promise—to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to world-class public space, right in their own backyard.

At first glance, the Davis Center, with its state-of-the-art Gottesman Pool, ice rink, and multi-use Harlem Oval public green, appears to be a feat of engineering and design. And it certainly is, with hundreds of Conservancy staff and construction crews having poured their expertise and passion into the facility over countless hours.

But the true foundation of the Davis Center was laid long before the first beam was set. From the very beginning, Conservancy staff were building another sort of foundation with the Harlem community—one rooted in dialogue, shaped by feedback, and built in partnership with the people of Harlem.

That process began with workshops and site visits during the early design phases, where Conservancy staff would share preliminary ideas and possibilities with community members.

John Reddick, the Conservancy’s Director of Community Engagement Projects, helped lead these efforts. “We walked people behind the old facility and stood in Huddlestone Arch,” he remembered. “And while they were looking at what was the service end view of Lasker Rink and Pool, we’d hold up a picture of what the Davis Center would look like from that same spot, and people gasped. They couldn't believe that was a possibility.”

John and other Conservancy staff also brought the different user groups of the old Lasker Rink and Pool to the table—including local lap swimmers and hockey teams—to hear their needs and ensure that the Davis Center could meet them.

Darline Lalanne, Director of Public Programs and General Manager of the Davis Center, said, “From the moment the Conservancy was thinking about the space to the moment it was unveiled, it was done with and for the community. We always listen to the community.”

What they heard—over and over—was that the former facility’s limited access left it unused and off-limits for much of the year, which was a major issue for community members. Outside the short summer swim season and winter skating months, the site stood closed.

After years of thoughtful design and construction, that concern is now resolved. The Davis Center provides year-round access with an innovative convertible deck system that transforms the space into the Gottesman Pool in summer, an ice rink in winter, and the Harlem Oval public green in fall and spring. All year long, community members can also enjoy free and low-cost programs, including fitness and wellness activities, cultural events, and youth programs.

These offerings do more than animate the space; they help bridge a deeper divide. The programs not only provide the types of activities residents requested, but they are also responding to another key issue the Conservancy heard from working shoulder-to-shoulder with the community: that not all locals feel welcome in Central Park.

John, who’s lived in Harlem since 1980, explained, “A lot of times when I talk to kids in East Harlem, they thought the Park wasn't for them. Because it’s manicured, it felt like it was going to be patrolled. This really saddens me. The Park is seen as part of the Fifth Avenue life and not the Third Avenue life.”

That’s why John hopes the Davis Center, with its wealth of community programming, will help nearby families see the Park as “an extension of their own backyard.”

To that end, Darline and her team understood that local organizations would be key in connecting with community members as they develop programs for the new center. So while the Central Park Conservancy facilitates some of the Davis Center’s programming, many of the programs are led by local nonprofit groups, like Multitasking Yogi, Go Hard Dance, and more—organizations already doing the work, already trusted by the community.

And our strategic partners won’t just offer programs—they will also receive priority access to the Davis Center’s state-of-the-art facilities for their own needs. Take Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH), for instance—a local nonprofit that teaches girls and young women of color to figure skate while also providing educational support and leadership development. The group will now have dedicated ice time at the Davis Center’s new rink to deliver their initiatives.

Levia Zhou, FSH’s Interim Skating Director, explained that for an organization that struggles to get adequate ice time for their students, access to the Davis Center’s rink will make a real impact in the skaters’ lives.

“Having access to the ice at the Davis Center will open doors for FSH students and welcome them into a new chapter of the organization where we can offer them more resources, such as additional class instruction, freestyle sessions, specialty clinics, increased test sessions, and tangible growth opportunities,” Levia said. “Access to more ice time will further prepare our students for competitions and our annual ice show, and show positive trends in the progression of their skating careers.”

McKenzie Lewis, a 10-year-old skater in the FSH program, got a sneak preview of the new ice rink in March, when the Conservancy hosted partner organizations for a community skating session.

Her verdict? “It was really awesome to skate at the Davis Center for the first time," she said. "This place is amazing—especially the ice quality. I really enjoyed myself there.”

What she’s most looking forward to, though, is sharing the experience with her friends. “I just want to see their faces, and I think they're really going to be happy and grateful. And I can't wait to make new memories there.”

To John, this is what the Davis Center is all about. “Think of all those schools that shut out all these Harlem-based programs,” he said. “Now, Harlem has a home-based facility that feels like, ‘Okay, my home base is really beautiful.’ It's an amenity that's first-rate and an extension of the neighborhood.”

As the Conservancy celebrates the conclusion of the Davis Center’s construction, the team sees this moment not as an endpoint, but a beginning—an ongoing collaboration with the community, to continue evolving Central Park's north end in partnership with our neighbors.

As Darline put it: “It's not just about opening up the Davis Center. It's about ongoing legacy, and a lasting commitment to hearing the community’s needs and expanding our programming to meet those needs.”

Jenny Schulte is the Senior Marketing Writer & Editor at the Central Park Conservancy.