The park was substantially renovated in the 21st century, including its swimming pool and the restoration of a bath house and a recreation center:
In 2001 McCarren Park's ballfield was renovated at a cost of $560,000 and the handball and boccie courts were updated at a cost of $601,000.
A $1.7 million project in 2006 renovated the park's well used running track and soccer field, and new lighting was added in 2008 at a cost of $1.1 million
Meanwhile, as part of the 2005 rezoning of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, the City appropriated $1 million in capital budget funds for restoration of the pool as a performance space.
 Also, $300,000 was allocated by the New York City Council in 2006 to support the construction of a seasonal rink.

During early 2007, many in the community expressed a preference that the pool be returned to its historic use as an active recreational facility, with a smaller space dedicated to cultural and concert events.
In April 2007, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that reconstruction of the pool would move forward, funded as part of the City's PlaNYC long-term planning initiative.
Total budget was announced as $50 million, with construction slated to start by 2009.
Before reconstruction began, the site continued to be used as a large concert venue.
In 2008, Wolf Eyes, Times New Viking and Vivian Girls opened for Sonic Youth on August 30.

The plan brought to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in September 2008 did call for a performance space to be included, but only as a portion of extensive refurbishment with a new pool, an ice-skating rink, a cafe, a community center, and an exhibition center.
The Commission approved the renovation plan on September 9, 2008.
Final design renderings were completed in February 2009, and renovation work began in December 2009.

As renovation work progressed, the bathhouse buildings were finally unsealed.
The LTV Squad urban exploration team again went inside and documented the building interiors, revealing a virtual time-capsule of 1980s graffiti which lay untouched over the previous two decades.
The graffiti was completely removed during the renovation.
The pool reopened on June 28, 2012.
The rush of large crowds and long lineups during the first few days resulted in some skirmishes between bathers and lifeguards, injuries to two police officers, litter and graffiti on nearby streets, and unease among local citizens.

In 2013, work was begun to remove "Hipster Lake", a puddle of water that was annoying users of the park's fields.

During Summer 2018, the running track and turf soccer field were closed for renovations.
The park was substantially renovated in the 21st century, including its swimming pool and the restoration of a bath house and a recreation center:
In 2001 McCarren Park's ballfield was renovated at a cost of $560,000 and the handball and boccie courts were updated at a cost of $601,000. A $1.7 million project in 2006 renovated the park's well used running track and soccer field, and new lighting was added in 2008 at a cost of $1.1 million
Meanwhile, as part of the 2005 rezoning of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, the City appropriated $1 million in capital budget funds for restoration of the pool as a performance space.  Also, $300,000 was allocated by the New York City Council in 2006 to support the construction of a seasonal rink.
During early 2007, many in the community expressed a preference that the pool be returned to its historic use as an active recreational facility, with a smaller space dedicated to cultural and concert events. In April 2007, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that reconstruction of the pool would move forward, funded as part of the City's PlaNYC long-term planning initiative. Total budget was announced as $50 million, with construction slated to start by 2009. Before reconstruction began, the site continued to be used as a large concert venue. In 2008, Wolf Eyes, Times New Viking and Vivian Girls opened for Sonic Youth on August 30.
The plan brought to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in September 2008 did call for a performance space to be included, but only as a portion of extensive refurbishment with a new pool, an ice-skating rink, a cafe, a community center, and an exhibition center. The Commission approved the renovation plan on September 9, 2008. Final design renderings were completed in February 2009, and renovation work began in December 2009.
As renovation work progressed, the bathhouse buildings were finally unsealed. The LTV Squad urban exploration team again went inside and documented the building interiors, revealing a virtual time-capsule of 1980s graffiti which lay untouched over the previous two decades. The graffiti was completely removed during the renovation. The pool reopened on June 28, 2012. The rush of large crowds and long lineups during the first few days resulted in some skirmishes between bathers and lifeguards, injuries to two police officers, litter and graffiti on nearby streets, and unease among local citizens.
In 2013, work was begun to remove "Hipster Lake", a puddle of water that was annoying users of the park's fields.
During Summer 2018, the running track and turf soccer field were closed for renovations.
McCarren Park