(Far Rockaway, NY<\/strong>) 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. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Rockaways are geographically isolated, medically underserved, and in urgent need of trauma care,\u201d said New York City<\/strong> Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers<\/strong>. \u201cWe are not asking for a handout \u2014 we\u2019re 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\u2019s budget.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thank the City for the $50 million already committed toward bringing a trauma center to Far Rockaway, this is a strong start,\u201d said New York State Senator James Sanders Jr.<\/strong> \u201cBut what good is a foundation if we don\u2019t build on it? The $300,000 land transfer fee may seem small, but its impact is massive. Let\u2019s take this final step and move Far Rockaway closer to the trauma care it has long deserved.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThe need for a trauma center on the Rockaway Peninsula is undeniable,\u201d New York State<\/strong> Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson<\/strong>. \u201cWe are calling on the Mayor to follow through on his promise and ensure the $300,000 land transfer is included in this year\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n “Rockaway residents need a trauma center on the peninsula, and they need it now,\u201d said New York City Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola.<\/strong> \u201cLives 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.”<\/p>\n \u201cSeconds count when you are having a medical emergency,\u201d said New York City<\/strong> Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Health Committee<\/strong>. \u201cBut, 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\u2019s 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\u2019s Office to act now \u2014 because equitable access to emergency care is right, not a privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n “A $300,000 paperwork fee should not be standing in the way of a $50 million investment in trauma care,\u201d said New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, Chair of the Hospitals Committee<\/strong>. \u201cIt’s unacceptable. Far Rockaway has waited long enough for the kind of equitable, lifesaving healthcare others take for granted. I\u2019m 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.”<\/p>\n \u201cTrauma care must be recognized as a basic right, not a benefit reserved for a few,\u201d said Renee Hastick-Motes, Chief Executive Officer of The Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center<\/strong>. \u201cThe ability to survive a life-threatening injury should not depend on where you live. Every community \u2014 urban, rural, or underserved \u2014 deserves immediate access to a fully equipped trauma center.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cToday, 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,\u201d said Felicia Johnson<\/strong>, Queens Community Board 14 District Manager. \u201c<\/strong>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\u2014regardless of their ZIP code\u2014can access life-saving medical treatment when it matters most. The $300,000 funding request is a modest but essential first step: securing the land.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJCCRP recognizes the need for a trauma center in the Rockaways,\u201d said Allison Deal, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula. \u201c<\/strong>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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks 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,\u201d said Gerry Romski, Arverne by the Sea Project Executive.<\/strong> <\/p>\n \u201cRockaway Residents deserve the best quality healthcare and life saving services,\u201d said Lailah Boyd, Community Advocate<\/strong>. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 and to deliver the trauma care the Rockaways have needed for far too long.<\/p>\n Media Contact for Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers:<\/p>\n