Johns Island’s First City Recreation Center Is Set to Begin Construction This Month
The long-awaited recreation and aquatic facility will bring pools, basketball, pickleball, a splash pad and more to Johns Island.
Johns Island is getting a major new recreation facility — and after years of planning, the project is finally approaching the construction phase.
The City of Charleston’s new Johns Island Recreation and Aquatic Facility is scheduled to begin construction this month, bringing the island its first full city recreation center.
City project documents list an expected construction start in October 2026, while Recreation Committee records previously identified Oct. 15 as the anticipated mobilization date.
The project is designed to give Johns Island residents access to many of the recreational amenities that have historically required traveling elsewhere in the Charleston area.
What will be inside?
The new facility is planned as a roughly 50,000- to 57,000-square-foot recreation and aquatic center.
According to the City of Charleston, indoor amenities are expected to include:
- A 25-meter swimming pool
- A separate therapy pool
- Two full-size basketball courts
- Volleyball courts
- Indoor pickleball
- A yoga or movement studio
- Multi-purpose and meeting rooms
- Classrooms
- Locker rooms
- Administrative space
- A warming kitchen
The outdoor portion of the project is also expected to add:
- Four pickleball courts
- An outdoor basketball court
- A playground
- A splash pad
- An event lawn
- A pavilion and community gathering space
City officials have described it as the largest recreation center Charleston has built.
A major investment in Johns Island
The project was first publicly announced by the city in early 2025 as part of a broader push to bring more public amenities and infrastructure to Johns Island.
The city said the facility would allow families to access recreation and programming closer to home rather than routinely leaving the island.
That matters on Johns Island, where rapid residential growth has increased pressure on roads and other infrastructure.
The city has even commissioned additional study of the recreation center’s potential impact on the surrounding road network as part of the planning process.
Where will it be?
Current project documents identify the site as:
📍 1761 Hayes Park Blvd.
Johns Island, SC 29455
The approximately nine-acre site will accommodate both the recreation building and the outdoor amenities.
When will it open?
The city’s public project page currently projects construction from 2026 through late 2027.
City staff have previously estimated that construction could take approximately 18 to 24 months, meaning the exact opening date will depend on how work progresses once construction begins.
For now, the milestone is significant: a project that Johns Island residents have been discussing and helping shape is moving from design and permitting toward actual construction.
Why this project matters
Charleston’s outer communities have continued to grow, but public amenities have not always expanded at the same pace.
For Johns Island, the new recreation center represents something residents have asked for repeatedly: more things families can access without leaving the island.
Once completed, the facility will give residents a year-round place for swimming, youth sports, fitness, community programming, meetings and recreation — all in one location.
And with construction scheduled to begin this month, Johns Island is getting closer to seeing that investment become real.
