QUEENS LAWMAKERS CELEBRATE COMPLETION
OF BROAD CHANNEL RESILIENCY PROJECT
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Queens elected officials and
community leaders joined representatives
from the Governor’s
Office of Storm Recovery
(GOSR) on Thursday, Feb. 10 to
cut the red ribbon on the completed
$5.5 million in resiliency
upgrades in Broad Channel,
a low-lying island in Jamaica
Bay.
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards, Senator
Joseph Addabbo and Assemblywoman
Stacey Pheffer Amato
joined Lieutenant Gov. Brian
Benjamin and GOSR’s Executive
Director Katie Brenan, for
the ribbon-cutting at the Broad
Channel Athletic Club, located
at 125 Cross Bay Blvd.
“Our climate is changing,
and major storms are more
frequent, as we were reminded
earlier this fall when Ida
wreaked havoc in Queens and
across New York. Through our
community-driven grassroots
process, GOSR is helping to
ensure these vital community
centers remain the safe spaces
that Broad Channel residents
depend on and that they are
able to provide critical resources
and recovery assistance in
the event of the next storm,”
Brenan said.
GOSR’s project includes
major enhancements to make
the Broad Channel American
Legion Hall Post 1404 and
Broad Channel Athletic Club,
two crucial community centers
that aided in recovery efforts
following Superstorm Sandy
in October 2021, better able to
withstand future storms and
emergency events.
With the completion of the
Broad Channel Resiliency
Project, Governor Kathy Hochul
said south Queens and the
area’s vital community centers
will be “safer and better able
to provide the services New
Yorkers need when disaster
strikes.”
The project was a culmination
of city, state, and federal
partners coming together to address
the devastation that Superstorm
Sandy once wreaked
on New Yorkers, Benjamin
said. “Climate change is here,
and one of its most devastating
impacts is the effect of rising
storms on neighborhoods like
Broad Channel. With this $5.5
million investment, the state
can better ensure the protection
of critical community
organizations, including the
Broad Channel Athletic Club
and American Legion Hall,”
Benjamin said.
Broad Channel, the only inhabited
island in Jamaica Bay,
is prone to flooding and was
one of the most severely impacted
areas by Superstorm Sandy.
The community experienced
the loss of life, housing and infrastructure.
Bridges connecting Broad
Channel to the mainland of
Queens were closed, which left
many residents stranded on the
island as it was enveloped by
storm surges as high as six feet
and by backdoor flooding from
the Rockaway Inlet. During the
storm, the American Legion
Hall and Athletic Club served
as crucial gathering points for
residents to assist one another
and distribute food and supplies
— despite damages the
storm inflicted on these facilities.
Key elements of GOSR’s resiliency
TIMESLEDGER | Q 2 NS.COM | FEB. 18 - FEB. 24, 2022
investment include:
Installation of permanent
backup power generators that
are elevated above flood level at
both facilities. The generators
will automatically start functioning
when needed and are
equipped with flood venting
and leak detection.
Construction of a new building
at the Athletic Club with
meeting space, storage capacity
and power equipment to enable
the facility to provide outdoor
relief services.
Installation of flood-resistant
doors at the Legion Hall
as well as elevated mechanical
and electrical systems to help
avoid outages during flooding
events.
Upgrades to the heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning
system at the Legion Hall
so that the facility can act as a
heating/cooling center for the
community during extreme
weather conditions.
The project was completed
in partnership with the Dormitory
Authority of the State of
New York (DASNY).
DASNY President and CEO
Reuben McDaniel III said
they’re proud to collaborate
with GOSR on the Broad Channel
project, as well as those
around the state, that are critical
for protecting and rebuilding
areas impacted by severe
weather.
“We’re grateful to Governor
Hochul for her continued
support of this important initiative
and her commitment to
strengthening communities all
across New York,” McDaniel
said.
Queens lawmakers applauded
Hochul and the government
agencies that worked to advance
the Broad Channel Resiliency
Project.
“New York City continues
to experience severe weather
events hitting areas like Jamaica
Bay hard,” Congressman
Gregory Meeks said. “I
applaud Governor Hochul for
the completion of the GOSR
project, which will help Jamaica
Bay better withstand future
storms.”
The congressman said he
is continuing to work with his
colleagues on the federal level
to ensure the funding from
President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure
bill goes to areas
like Jamaica Bay to continue
resiliency efforts.
Addabbo and Amato, who
both represent Broad Channel,
reflected on the long road to recovery
from Superstorm Sandy.
“This ribbon cutting ceremony
is cause for celebration
here in Broad Channel. This
community was hit hard by
Hurricane Sandy, and to be
able to now say that we have
more resiliency measures in
place means they will be better
protected from future storms,”
Addabbo said.
While Superstorm Sandy
decimated the community, Amato
said they had a united front
and worked together to reach
this accomplishment.
“We are thankful for Governor
Hochul’s fierce support for
storm recovery and know that
the Governor’s Office of Storm
Recovery will continue to work
with the resilient people of
Broad Channel and all other
communities affected by these
dramatic storms,” Amato said.
City Councilwoman Joann
Ariola congratulated the Broad
Channel Planning Committee
and the Broad Channel Civic
on a job well done.
From Superstorm Sandy to
Hurricane Ida, Richards said
that Queens is far too familiar
with the devastating impacts
climate change can have on
vulnerable communities like
Broad Channel.
“Queens also knows the
critical importance of resiliency
efforts like these to defend
against sea level rise and future
storms. By ensuring the Broad
Channel American Legion Hall
Post 1404 and Broad Channel
Athletic Club, two critical hubs
of this South Queens community,
are more resistant to flooding,
the government is taking a
proactive approach toward supporting
and empowering Broad
Channel families if and when
another major storm strikes.
Thank the Governor’s Office of
Storm Recovery for its efforts
here in ‘The World’s Borough,’”
Richards said.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260–4526.
(From l. to r.) GOSR’s Executive Director Katie Brenan, Senator Joseph Addabbo, Lieutenant Governor
Brian Benjamin, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Broad Channel Planning Committee
Co-Chair Dan Mundy and Leo Chavanne from the Broad Channel Athletic Club and Assemblywoman
Stacey Pheffer Amato cut the ribbon to mark the completion of the Broad Channel Resiliency Project
on Thursday, Feb. 10. Photo courtesy of GOSR
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