P.S. 106 Renames the Arverne East Welcome Center

On Monday, November 25, Councilmember Selvena Brooks-­Powers, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., PS 106 and The Arverne East Development Team announced the new name for the Arverne East Welcome Center, with a ceremony and celebration. Fifth grade PS 106 students elected to name the building the “Coastal Conservation Center,” befitting the center’s proximity to the 35-acre Arverne East Nature Preserve. At the ceremony, Borough President Richards and Councilmember Brooks-Powers presented the students with a certificate of recognition, making the new name official.

“As a place where people can come together to learn about vibrant local ecosystems or simply to spend time with one another in a beautiful, modern space, the newly named Coastal Conservation Center is a community staple of the Rockaways,” Councilwoman Brooks-Powers said. “The ceremony today represents an exciting step forward – raising up the young community members who chose this excellent name and celebrating this new chapter together with our neighbors.”

“The Arverne East Project has been and has the potential to be transformational for the families of the eastern Rockaway peninsula. From high-quality affordable housing to a pristine nature preserve to the newly named Coastal Conservation Center, what we are creating together will improve the lives of our neighbors for generations to come,” Borough President Richards said. “Thank you to the brilliant students of PS 106 for their contributions to a brighter future for Rockaway!”

“We are so excited that The Arverne East Development Team, Councilmember Brooks-Powers and L+M Development Partners took our suggestion to involve the children from PS 106 to come up with the name of an institution that is close to them and will benefit them and the school for years to come,” Felicia Johnson, District Manager for Community Board 14, said.

“We look forward to continuing Lighthouse Elementary’s relationship with the Coastal Conservation Center and are grateful that our students had the opportunity to make an impact on this important community hub,” Althea Balsdon, Assistant Principal, Lighthouse Elementary PS 106, said.

The Coastal Conservation Center and nature preserve were constructed as the $30.3 million first phase of the ambitious Arverne East project. Arverne East Nature Preserve restores and promotes native ecology across five distinct maritime environments. The welcome center includes a community meeting space, office space for Urban Park Rangers, crew headquarters for Parks staff and public restrooms. The overall Arverne East development will include 1,650 units of housing — 80 percent affordable and 20 percent market-rate. The project will also include diverse neighborhood retail.