There’s a brand new Community Center coming to the 3,497 residents of Bronxdale Houses in the Bronx under $9,949,060 in new contracts recently awarded by the Board of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).

A two-story 23,000-sq.-ft. building will be built on a former parking lot in the midst the 28 seven-story buildings at the 30.77-acre complex. The parking lot is being moved to a nearby location. The first floor of the new facility will have a full gymnasium with a stage, spectator seating and a locker room.

Also there will be a kitchen and adjoining dining room that will double as a multi-purpose room for other activities. There also will be public toilets and an office for the center director. The second floor will have classrooms and arts and crafts areas and an exercise room overlooking the two-story gym space.

“This new facility will become the center of community activity for this sprawling development,” NYCHA Chairman Tino Hernandez said. “It will provide major quality--of-life activities for all the residents, young and old alike.”

In recent years NYCHA has completed 44 new Community Centers with another 24 under construction and 21 in the design phase at a total cost of $226.4 million. The Bronxdale center will take two years to complete, once work begins this summer.

Bronxdale Houses, completed January 31, 1955, has 1,496 apartments and is bordered by Bruckner Boulevard, Watson, Soundview and Leland Avenues.