Red Hook is welcoming a new media lab to the Red Hook Recreation Center that will help out multimedia creators and tech enthusiasts.

For local resident Andre Richey, who’s been coming to the Red Hook Recreation Center since he was 8, this development is something that hits close to home.

“Growing up in a certain environment of Red Hook… this is a place where I would come and I know it’s safe for my friends, safe for me, it’s fun,” said Richey.

Richey now leads a youth basketball program at the rec center and joined the city’s parks department and Amazon to reveal the new media lab. The lab comes with professional recording studio equipment, new computers and production softwares, and resources for photography, video and graphic design.

Amazon donated $100,000 to the Parks Department to build, staff, and fully equip the lab with everything it needs.

Richey says the brand-new space will have a long lasting impact on the youth in the community.