Far Rockaway to Get New Health Center

After last week’s announcement of a primary care facility closing in Far Rockaway last week, on Thursday, March 30, NYC Health + Hospitals/ Gotham Health and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced plans to open a new comprehensive community health center in Far Rockaway, to expand access to primary care, women’s health, dental, vision and mental health services for the peninsula community.

The new health center will be located at 1720 Village Lane in Far Rockaway and is expected to open in 2025. On

Thursday, the health system’s Board of Directors approved a proposal to sign a 32-year lease for the 22,000 square foot site. The City of New York contributed $30 million to cover the cost of outfitting the space. The new community health center is part of the NYCEDC’s “Downtown Far Rockaway Roadmap for Action” and Mayor Eric Adams’ “Rebuild, Renew, and Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery.”

“Bringing a quality health care center to New Yorkers in the Rockaways was a promise made in our ‘Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery,’ and today I'm proud to announce our $30 million investment to make this center a reality,” New York City Mayor Adams said.

“The days of deliberate disinvestment in the health of Far Rockaway families are officially done. From thousands of units of housing to a state-ofthe-art library and now to a high-quality NYC Health + Hospitals facility, the $288 million rezoning of Far Rockaway, which passed in 2017, continues to pay dividends for this community — one that is more than deserving of holistic investment,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said.

“Today we are making an important step forward in bringing a new community health center to the Far Rockaways,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “When the space is finished, Far Rockaway residents will have easy access to high quality primary care. I want to thank Borough President Richards and the Mayor for their efforts in bringing this new health center to South Queens.”

The clinic still requires approval from the New York State Department of Health, which oversees the opening of all health facilities statewide, as well as other regulatory approvals and a signed lease.

A 2018 Community Health Profile of Rockaway and Broad Channel published by the NYC Health Department found that the area had unmet medical needs:

• 10% of adults reported going with-