City Commits to Location for Trauma Hospital

By Katie McFadden

It appears the city has a spot in mind for a trauma center on the peninsula. The mayor’s administration has committed a vacant plot of land on Beach 62nd Street between Arverne Blvd. and Rockaway Freeway, to be used for a trauma center.

Locals have long been demanding a trauma center to address drownings, shootings and other trauma-related emergencies in the wake of Peninsula Hospital’s closure in 2012, leaving Rockaway with one hospital, St. John’s, which isn’t a trauma center. Trauma patients often have to be transported to Jamaica Hospital or Brookdale, costing precious time in emergencies. Having a location in mind may be a positive step in the right direction, but it’s not without hurdles.

As first reported by the Queens Daily Eagle on April 10, the designated plot of land is owned by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and would need to be transferred to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. This would require federal approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Then there’s the matter of funding. The transfer alone would cost the city $300,000. The City Council requested this in its response to the Fiscal Year 2026 budget on April 1.

Brooks-Powers has been a leader in the fight for a trauma center, launching the Far Rockaway Trauma Healthcare Task Force in October 2022. At a virtual Task Force meeting on February 27, Brooks-Powers spoke about this location, saying they identified it as an ideal spot last year since it’s city-owned, already vacant, near a subway station and not directly next to residences. Mayor Adams’ administration agreed, and Brooks-Powers was able to secure $25 million in last year’s city budget for the project. Another $25 million has been allocated as part of the Downtown Far Rockaway Rezoning project, but there’s still a long way to go.