$300,000 Land Transfer Fee Would Advance Long-Needed Level 1 or Level 2 Trauma Facility on the Rockaway Peninsula

(Far Rockaway, NY) Today, New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers joined elected officials, labor leaders, and community advocates to call on the City fund the $300,000 land transfer fee needed to advance the proposed trauma center in Far Rockaway. 

“The Rockaways are geographically isolated, medically underserved, and in urgent need of trauma care,” said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “We are not asking for a handout — we’re demanding long-overdue equity. A $300,000 investment is a small price to pay to give over 120,000 residents a fighting chance in an emergency. We thank the Mayor for committing to this site and call on him to follow through in this year’s budget.”

The rally was held at the corner of Beach 62nd Street and Arverne Boulevard, the site of the proposed trauma facility. The vacant NYCHA-owned lot was identified after months of community-led planning as the most viable site for a Level 1 or Level 2 trauma center, given its proximity to major roads and public transit, and distance from residential buildings.

The Rockaway Peninsula is more than 11 miles long and has no trauma-designated hospital. The nearest trauma facility, Jamaica Hospital, is nearly 10 miles away — a gap that puts lives at risk during emergencies. This has led to devastating consequences in recent years, including the deaths of 10-year-old Justin Wallace and NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller.

Last year, the City allocated $25 million toward the trauma center project in the FY25 budget, with a total commitment now reaching $50 million. The $300,000 land transfer fee is the next essential step, allowing the City to formally transfer the NYCHA lot to the Administration. Without this funding in the FY26 budget, the project could face avoidable delays.

“We thank the City for the $50 million already committed toward bringing a trauma center to Far Rockaway, this is a strong start,” said New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. “But what good is a foundation if we don’t build on it? The $300,000 land transfer fee may seem small, but its impact is massive.  Let’s take this final step and move Far Rockaway closer to the trauma care it has long deserved.” 

“The need for a trauma center on the Rockaway Peninsula is undeniable,” New York State Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson. “We are calling on the Mayor to follow through on his promise and ensure the $300,000 land transfer is included in this year’s budget. For far too long, the Rockaways have been treated as an afterthought but today, we are demanding to be prioritized. With the rapid increase in housing units and population, the time for waiting is over.  It is only right that we be given what is essential and necessary. The trauma center is a necessity and we need it now.”

“Rockaway residents need a trauma center on the peninsula, and they need it now,” said New York City Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola. “Lives are literally at stake. This investment is a crucial next step towards making this much-needed facility a reality, and I join with my colleagues in calling upon the mayor to follow through and include the required funds in this year’s budget.”

“Seconds count when you are having a medical emergency,” said New York City Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Health Committee. “But, in Far Rockaway, those seconds can turn into hours because of the lack of a trauma center in the community. As Chair of the City Council’s Health Committee, I fully support the community’s efforts to bring a new trauma center facility into the area. The Far Rockaway community has fought tirelessly for this facility, and we are closer than ever to making it a reality. With $50 million already secured, the only thing standing in the way is a $300,000 land transfer.  We are urging the Mayor’s Office to act now — because equitable access to emergency care is right, not a privilege.”

“A $300,000 paperwork fee should not be standing in the way of a $50 million investment in trauma care,” said New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, Chair of the Hospitals Committee. “It’s unacceptable. Far Rockaway has waited long enough for the kind of equitable, lifesaving healthcare others take for granted. I’m proud to stand with Council Member Brooks-Powers and other colleagues and demand the administration do the right thing, fund the land transfer and let this project move forward.”

 “Trauma care must be recognized as a basic right, not a benefit reserved for a few,” said Renee Hastick-Motes, Chief Executive Officer of The Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center. “The ability to survive a life-threatening injury should not depend on where you live. Every community — urban, rural, or underserved — deserves immediate access to a fully equipped trauma center.” 

“Today, advocates and community leaders are calling on the City of New York to allocate $300,000 in funding to acquire vacant city-owned land for the construction of a trauma center for the Rockaway peninsula, a community long burdened by limited access to emergency medical services,” said Felicia Johnson, Queens Community Board 14 District Manager. “For too long, residents in this medically underserved area have faced unacceptable delays in critical trauma care. The nearest emergency facility is approximately 10 miles away, and response times continue to place lives at risk. This proposed trauma center would be the first step in righting decades of disinvestment and neglect, ensuring that all New Yorkers—regardless of their ZIP code—can access life-saving medical treatment when it matters most. The $300,000 funding request is a modest but essential first step: securing the land.”

“JCCRP recognizes the need for a trauma center in the Rockaways,” said Allison Deal, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula. “There have been too many tragedies that could have been prevented if there was a trauma center on the Peninsula. The time has come for our elected officials, community leaders and all residents of the Rockaway Peninsula to gather together in agreement that our health and safety is a priority and we must have a trauma center as we value life, including in the most urgent situations.”

“Thanks to the herculean efforts of Councilmember Brooks-Powers and her partners in City and State Government, we are confident that the day will soon come when we are breaking ground on the much needed Rockaway Trauma Center,” said Gerry Romski, Arverne by the Sea Project Executive. 

 “Rockaway Residents deserve the best quality healthcare and life saving services,” said Lailah Boyd, Community Advocate. “We are 45 minutes away from a Trauma Center and we need our own right here in this community.  As a lifelong Rockaway resident I am asking for your support to give us the $300,000 needed to achieve our goal.”

With strong community support, $50 million in funding, and a ready site, one critical step remains to move forward: a $300,000 investment in the FY26 budget. Community advocates and elected officials are urging the Administration to finalize this land transfer without delay — and to deliver the trauma care the Rockaways have needed for far too long.

Media Contact for Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers:

Julian Martin | jmartin@council.nyc.gov 

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