Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is hosting a weeklong series of free events for Far Rockaway residents next week.
The 5th Borough Hall On Your Block: Rockaway Peninsula initiative will run from Monday, Sept. 9th to Monday, Sept 16th, featuring various public events, including a town hall, street co-naming ceremony, and community beach day.
Richards said the initiative aims to uplift local families and communities. “I couldn’t be more excited to bring this important initiative to the Rockaway Peninsula in the midst of its renaissance as we continue our mission to ensure all our neighbors feel seen, heard, and, most importantly, served,” he said in a statement.
Richards first announced the Borough Hall On Your Block Series during his June 2022 State of the Borough Address. The program, which had programming in southeast Queens in Aug. 2022, western Queens in Feb. 2023, northwest Queens in Aug. 2023, and central Queens in Feb. 2024, aims to bring government services and individual attention directly to families.
Below is a calendar of public events scheduled for the upcoming Borough Hall On Your Block: Rockaway Peninsula initiative:
Monday, September 9
- Press conference announcing Borough President Richards’ allocation of $500,000 in capital funding to reconfigure the intersection of Beach Channel Drive, Seagirt Blvd., and Beach 35th St. in Edgemere.
- Time: 10 a.m.
- Location: Intersection of Beach Channel Drive, Seagirt Blvd., and Beach 35th St. in Edgemere.
- Older Adult Resource Fair
- Time: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Location: JASA Brookdale Village Older Adult Center, 131 Beach 19th St. in Far Rockaway.
Tuesday, September 10
- Unveiling of renderings for Beach Channel Educational Campus’ new weight room
- Time: 10 a.m.
- Location: Beach Channel Educational Campus, 100-00 Beach Channel Dr. in Rockaway Park.
- Street co-naming ceremony in honor of late Rockaway civic and community leader Dr. Ed Williams.
- Time: 2 p.m.
- Location: Intersection of Redfern Avenue and Village Lane in Far Rockaway
Friday, September 13
- Ribbon cutting ceremony for Nameoke Park, which recently underwent a $5.8 million reconstruction.
- Time: 10 a.m.
- Location: Nameoke Park, the intersection of Nameoke Ave. and Augustina Avenues in Far Rockaway
- Rockaway Peninsula Jobs Recruitment Fair,
- Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Location: Far Rockaway Library, 1637 Central Ave. in Far Rockaway.
Saturday, September 14
- Beach Day Fair, featuring school supply giveaways, a bike jamboree, and networking with community-based organizations.
- Time: noon to 4 p.m.
- Location: Rockaway Beach Boardwalk at Beach 17th St. in Far Rockaway
Monday, September 16
- Press conference announcing Borough President Richards’ allocation of a combined $3.8 million in capital funding toward a trio of projects across Edgemere and Arverne, including $3 million toward the reconstruction of Arverne Playground.
- Time: 3 p.m.
- Location to be announced in the coming days.
- Rockaway Peninsula Community Town Hall, featuring various city agencies as part of a community-led conversation about local quality-of-life issues.
- Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Rockaway YMCA, 207 Beach 73rd St. in Arverne
Members of the public interested in attending one or more of the events outlined above can register by visiting www.queensbp.org/rsvp.
