Oakland Reopens Mosswood Recreation Center
Published on May 04, 2026
Oakland, CA – Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, City leaders, and community partners gathered in Mosswood Park to celebrate the completion of the new Mosswood Recreation Center and improvements to the iconic park.
The Mosswood Recreation Center is a new two-story, 12 thousand+ square-foot recreation center in North Oakland. The new facility replaces a 1950s-era Recreation Center building that was lost in a fire in November 2016. Oakland Public Works led the design and construction of the project; Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development will operate the completed facility.
“This new Mosswood Recreation Center represents what’s possible when a city comes together and invests in its people. After the 2016 fire, this community never gave up, and today we are proud to open a beautiful, modern space where families can gather, learn, and thrive. From classrooms and a computer lab to a maker space and outdoor terrace, this center will serve generations of Oaklanders. This is what it looks like when we rebuild stronger. Oakland is on the move!” said Mayor Barbara Lee.
"The new Mosswood Recreation Center represents years of commitment to rebuilding a place that serves the needs of our neighborhoods. After the loss of the previous facility in 2016, this project reflects the importance of investing in resources that bring people together. With features like a social hall, kitchen, classrooms, computer lab, maker space, and outdoor terrace, this site is designed to support learning, connection, and recreation for Oakland residents. Paired with the improvements to Mosswood Park, this is a monumentous step forward in providing accessible, high-quality, public resources in District 3," said Oakland District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife.
“Oakland Public Works is proud to have led a robust community engagement process spanning almost two years which helped ensure a building that will serve this community for many decades to come,” said Public Works Director Liam Garland. “I am grateful to the project team at Oakland Public Works and our partners at Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development for working side by side with a community that never gave up.”
“This project has been a long time coming, and I’m so excited to welcome the community back into this beautiful new space to learn, create, play, and grow,” said Terri Westbrook, Director for the Mosswood Recreation Center.
The Mosswood Recreation Center incorporates sustainable design principles and the City's ‘Art in Public Places’ program. It will be inclusive of a diverse community of users, universally accessible, and flexible in use. The ground floor of the facility includes a social hall, kitchen, inclusion classroom, and office and support spaces. The second floor includes classrooms, a computer lab, a maker space, and an outdoor terrace. Following the fire, temporary facilities were installed to house core center programs, such as after school programs, summer camp, computer lab and cooking classes.
Park improvements along the southern portion of the park property include planting, pathways and lighting, improvements to the existing parking lot, a new fire access road at the north side of the building and improved east-west connection across the park.
Funding for the $20.8 million project was provided by Oakland’s 2016 Infrastructure and Affordable Housing Bond Measure KK and 2022 Public Facilities Bond Measure U, as well as grants from the Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Program and the State of California Natural Resources Agency. JUV Inc. was the contractor for the project.
For more information, please visit the project website: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/mosswood-community-center
About Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development Department (OPRYD)
OPRYD and its partners provide best in class, relevant and equitable programs and services, while meeting the specific needs of people and communities both at the neighborhood level and regionally throughout the City of Oakland. We achieve this mission through intentional engagement and by removing the barriers that prohibit equitable opportunities for all.
OPRYD offers critical quality-of-life programming in areas of enrichment, cultural arts, youth development, sports and physical activities, health and wellness, water safety, and other leisure activities for adults, youth, and children. Programs and Camps at recreation centers, pools and parks are part of the efforts to promote health, stem obesity, and encourage civic participation, personal development, and empowerment.
About Oakland Public Works
Oakland Public Works is charged with building, maintaining, and improving the City’s infrastructure including public buildings, sanitary and storm sewers, lighting, and City-owned vehicles and equipment. Public Works provides or administers essential environmental services including solid waste and recycling services; illegal dumping abatement; street sweeping; maintenance of parks, trees, and medians; and watershed management.
Our Mission Statement: Oakland Public Works is dedicated to you! We strive to maintain, improve and preserve Oakland’s infrastructure and environment for the residents, businesses, visitors, and future generations of every neighborhood in our diverse city.
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