San Mateo residents will get their first chance to weigh in on a major renovation of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at a public workshop on Tuesday, July 14.

The city plans to overhaul the facility at 725 Monte Diablo Ave., upgrading the swimming pool and locker rooms and converting part of the center into a resiliency hub that can support residents during emergencies. The project is managed by the city's Public Works Department and listed among its current capital improvement efforts.

The first workshop runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Social Rooms A & B at the center. The format is an open house and gallery information walk, and free childcare will be available. Sessions will be offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Berkeley-based ELS Architecture and Urban Design, which has completed several Bay Area aquatics and recreation projects including the all-electric Rengstorff Park Aquatics Center in Mountain View, is partnering with the city on the design process. Each workshop session offers residents opportunities to learn about the project, share ideas and collaborate with city staff.

The push for investment in the center predates the formal workshop process. In a November 2025 guest column in the San Mateo Daily Journal, Dr. Charles Hansen wrote that the King Center "cannot take a back seat," framing the renovation as a matter of community equity.

The city has not disclosed a project budget or construction timeline. With no dollar figure or target completion date published, the workshop series appears to mark the earliest phase of community input on the design.

The city posted the announcement on its official Instagram account on Tuesday, July 7, directing residents to cityofsanmateo.org/MLKProject for details.

Upcoming MLK Center workshop schedule

  • Workshop 1: Tuesday, July 14, 7–8:30 p.m., Social Rooms A & B, MLK Jr. Community Center, 725 Monte Diablo Ave. (free childcare)
  • Workshop 2: Monday, August 3, 7–8:30 p.m., Social Rooms A & B, MLK Jr. Community Center. Zoom option: Monday, August 10, 6–7:30 p.m.
  • Workshop 3: Thursday, August 27, 7–8:30 p.m., Assembly Room, MLK Jr. Community Center. Zoom option: Tuesday, September 1, 6–7:30 p.m.