Councilman Charles F. Brown is challenging city officials to live up to its word to increase recreational opportunities in the East Suffolk community.

Brown, during the Suffolk City Council’s work session on Wednesday, said the city appears to have neglected a promise of eight years ago to focus on recreation along the East Washington Street corridor.

Brown said city officials made the commitment in the late 1990s, when the city was discussing plans to turn the former Suffolk High School into the Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts.

All the community has gotten since that time has been a couple or three new ball fields, Brown said. Also, since that time, the city has made improvements to the Cypress swimming pool.

&uot;I hope you are not throwing us aside,&uot; Brown said. &uot;We will not be left behind.&uot;

Increased recreational opportunities are vital to enhancing the quality of life in the area, he said.

&uot;We have 15,000 or 16,000 children downtown and along East Washington Street,&uot; Brown said. &uot;They have nowhere to go but the streets.

&uot;We have got to make this happen on the east side,&uot; he continued. &uot;I think we have been slipping behind.&uot;

allison.williams@suffolknewsherald.com