In 1953, the UNRA donated the Brooks Pool and surrounding land to Baton Rouge’s recreation committee, now known as BREC. According to the written agreement from over 70 years ago, “The land must always be used for the surrounding community, which includes schools and parks.” One resident remembers that “people came from all over to swim and use the park. They came from Clinton, Ethel, and everywhere because they had no pools for Black kids anywhere else.”

In 2008, BREC combined City Park and Brooks Park, two formerly separate parks, into City-Brooks Community Park. In 2010, BREC had to close Brooks Pool and pools at three other BREC parks because of cracks and other problems. City-Brooks’ pool was later reopened as a smaller pool that focuses on teaching kids to swim.

After 2008, fences and other obstacles that separated Brooks Park from City Park were gradually removed and access between the two parks was improved. Now with the opportunities provided by the City Park Lake and University Lake project, there is greater potential for enhanced usage and new amenities for this underutilized asset to benefit the surrounding neighborhoods and the entire community.

In 2016, a group consisting of representatives from local runners’ clubs, high school track coaches, and others from the area’s running community proposed to BREC representatives that an official 400-meter running track be built in Brooks Park behind McKinley Middle Magnet School. Fitness work-out stations would be included in the middle of the track. The facility would be for public use and include access from City Park. The plan was enthusiastically supported by representatives from McKinley Magnet School. After much discussion, and rejection of plans from BREC for smaller sized tracks, the BREC administration of 2016 offered to build a 400-meter running track at Independence Park. The runners’ group passed on the offer, stating that Brooks Park was their preferred location.