Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center Modernization
Online Survey Closed: More Ways to Share Feedback
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is valuable and will help shape our upcoming work.
Although the survey is now closed, you still have opportunities to participate and share your perspective:
We invite you to join the Zoom alternate for Community Workshop #3 on Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 6 p.m. To 7:30 p.m. This session will offer a deeper conversation about the topics covered in the survey and provide space for more detailed input.
You can also engage on this topic at two upcoming public meetings:
- Parks & Recreation Commission meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m.
- City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Martin Luther King Jr. Center Project is expected to be discussed during the special meeting which begins at 6 p.m.
- Visit our Agendas & Minutes Public Meeting Portal for more information.
We hope to see you there!
What is the MLK Center Project?
The City of San Mateo is planning improvements to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center to better serve the community, establish a resiliency center that can support residents during emergencies, and address the needs of an aging facility, with an emphasis on the pool facilities.
Community members are invited to help shape the project’s vision by participating in a series of in-person and virtual workshops hosted with the City of San Mateo and ELS Architecture and Urban Design.
Each session offers opportunities to learn about the project, share ideas and collaborate with the City.
Quick Links
- Community Workshop #2 Presentation With Pool Designs
- Community Workshop #3 Presentation With Preferred Concept
Check back at this page for project updates.
Upcoming Workshops
- Zoom Alternate Meeting for Community Workshop #3: Preferred Concept & Visioning Sessions
- Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88163394764
What to Expect at Upcoming Workshops
Community Workshop #3
For Community Workshop #3, to be held on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the design team will integrate the information gathered to date from community workshops, surveys and meetings with City staff to produce a preferred design option.
Whether you attended previous workshops or this is your first, all participants are welcome. Interpretation in Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese will be available.
- This third workshop will include an initial presentation of the preferred design, along with a review of the process to date.
- Similar to Workshop #2, copies of the preferred design will be provided along with pens, pencils and tracing paper at each table for participants to explore ideas and refinements to the design.
- Participants will be invited to comment on this design in small group discussions around tables, with a spokesperson from each table then summarizing the discussion for the whole group. The evening will end with a final summary of the results.
Past Workshops
Complete - Community Workshop #1: Open House & Gallery Information Walk (free childcare and refreshments provided)
- Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Social Rooms A & B
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 725 Monte Diablo Ave
Summary of Community Workshop #1:
Community Workshop #1 was held on July 14, 2026. This open house style event included large display boards inviting community to share their thoughts about how they use the center and what is working and not working. In addition, participants were invited to share their priorities for aquatics programming by placing dots next to their preferred programs. Additional display boards introduced the concept of a resiliency center and why it's needed, as well as reviewing the existing conditions of the center and the priorities for modernization. On a final display board, participants were invited to share written comments on sticky notes. The event provided a lot of useful feedback to inform the design process for the modernization moving forward.
Complete - Community Workshop #2: Alternative Concepts & Visioning Sessions (free childcare and refreshments provided)
- Monday, August 3, 2026 | 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Social Rooms A & B
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 725 Monte Diablo Ave
- View the presentation presented at Community Workshop #2
- Or Via Zoom Meeting: Community Workshop #2: Alternative Concepts & Visioning Sessions
- This meeting was conducted online via Zoom: Monday, August 10, 2026 | 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Zoom meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88163394764
- This meeting was conducted online via Zoom: Monday, August 10, 2026 | 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Summary of Community Workshop #2:
Community Workshop #2 was held in person on August 3 and on Zoom on August 10. At the in-person workshop, participants received an overview of the project and three pool design options. Each table then reviewed the options in groups, discussing the pros and cons of designs for the swimming pool, locker rooms and building entrances. Each team then summarized their preferences for the room. Next, everyone was invited to select their preferences in a live poll, and participants could review the results in real time.
The Zoom meeting followed the same format with an introduction and group discussion followed by a live poll. This allowed community members to review plan options, discuss their preferences and provide feedback to the City and ELS Architecture and Urban Design.
Complete - Community Workshop #3: Preferred Concept & Visioning Sessions (free childcare and refreshments provided)
- Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 725 Monte Diablo Ave