NEW YORK CITY—The Rockaways has seen significant population and private sector job growth in the nearly five-and-a-half years since Superstorm Sandy brought massive flooding and devastation onshore to this section of Queens.

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a report on Friday that indicated while private sector employment fell 11% between 2011 and 2013, it set a new record of 14,900 jobs in 2016, 400 more than the previous record posted prior to Superstorm Sandy.

Job growth remained strong during the first half of 2017, rising 4.6% or twice the citywide average. Health care was the largest employer in the Rockaways, accounting for 39 percent of all private sector jobs. More than half of the jobs gained between 2013 and 2016 were concentrated in health care, restaurants and bars and personal services, according to the State Comptroller's report.

Business sales dipped in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, but reached $149 million in 2016, the highest level ever and exceeded the pre-storm activity level by 35%. In 2016, there were 1,215 businesses in the Rockaways, 11% more than before Superstorm Sandy. Most businesses are small with 81% having fewer than 10 employees and two-thirds of businesses in the Rockaways having fewer than five employees.

Another positive data point from the report was that the population of the Rockaways reached 127,400, only slightly less than the record 128,400 set in 2012.

“People are returning to the Rockaways because it's a great place to live,” DiNapoli said. “With record job growth, a newly rebuilt boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean that attracts millions of visitors, and several economic developments projects in the pipeline, the Rockaways is coming back. Today's report shows how far the Rockaways have come, but it also highlights the challenges that remain.”

The mostly positive report did indicate some long-standing storm-related challenges. For instance, although approximately 96% of the single-family storm damage applicants had received reimbursement checks and were in some phases of having their residence rehabilitated, construction was not complete on 429 homes in the Rockaways as of October 2017, according to the New York City Office of Management and Budget.

The unemployment rate fell from 14.2% in 2010 to 9.0% in 2016, but was still almost twice the 2007 prerecession level and the third-highest of any neighborhood in Queens. The unemployment rate varied by neighborhood, ranging from 2.9% in Belle Harbor to 17.9% in Edgemere.

In May 2017 the reconstruction of the Rockaway Boardwalk was completed at a cost of $341 million. The new 5.5-mile boardwalk includes higher dunes, a new sand retaining wall, and other resiliency measures. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has replaced 3.5 million cubic yards of sand along Rockaway Beach from Beach 19th Street to Beach 149th Street at a cost of more than $36 million.

Other resiliency programs under consideration include the Resiliency Community Plan that would create resilient housing and institute street improvements over a 10-year period in a section of the Rockaways. The city has already committed $145 million to finance seven resiliency projects.

In addition, a $58-million flood mitigation program is also under consideration for Breezy Point.

The report also notes that Far Rockaway currently faces a host of challenges, including retail vacancies, a lack of housing options, open space and community services. Last September, the New York City Council approved a plan to rezone 23 blocks in Far Rockaway that is expected to eventually spur $288 million in investment, including $126 million in funding commitments from New York City for infrastructure improvements and the purchase of land for affordable housing.

Among the major projects in the pipeline in the Rockaways include The Arverne by the Sea project, which calls for nearly 2,300 housing units to be built in phases. Construction began in the summer of 2017 on the first phase that will feature 214 market rate apartments and commercial space.

Other notable projects include four nine-story residential buildings to be built in Rockaway Park. Construction has begun on the first 90-unit residential condominium building. In addition, the new owner of the Peninsula Hospital Site plans to build multifamily housing and commercial space on the Edgemere property.

Instant Insights /

Rockaways on the Rise Despite Persistent Challenges

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