You are reading

Queens Community House Buys Its Longtime Forest Hills Headquarters

Forest Hills Community Center, at 108-25 62nd Dr. (Google Maps)

Feb. 10, 2021 By Allie Griffin

One of Queens’ largest community-based organizations recently bought its long-time headquarters and plans to modernize the building.

Queens Community House (QCH) bought the Forest Hills Community Center at the end of December and will start renovating the building in July, the organization announced Monday.

The non-profit plans to add accessibility upgrades, lounges, counseling rooms and areas for intergenerational activities. It will also revamp the entire building.

The work is expected to be completed by the summer of 2022, Queens Community House Executive Director Ben Thomases said.

Queens Community House has run the center, located at 108-25 62nd Dr., since 1976 and now owns the building after its Board of Directors agreed to purchase it from the tenants of the Forest Hills Coop.

It was owned and operated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) until 2017 when tenants of the Forest Hills Coop took it over.

“The purchase marks an enormous milestone in our organization’s evolution,” Thomases said. “It solidifies the continuity of the Forest Hills space as an essential resource for the Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Corona communities.”

Queens Community House, which was established at the center, has 32 community sites across the borough. The non-profit is still headquartered at the Forest Hills Community Center.

About 500 people visited the center daily prior to the pandemic, according to Queens Community House. The center houses a senior center and a teen center and offers English language classes, after-school programs and youth leadership programming.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Advocates urge passage of New York for All Act as Assembly session nears end

Jun. 16, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

As the State Senate concluded its legislative session on Thursday, immigrant rights advocates renewed calls for lawmakers to pass the New York for All Act before the Assembly adjourns on Tuesday, June 17. The proposed legislation, along with several other immigration-related bills, remains pending as the clock winds down on this year’s session.

Queens gun buyback takes 74 firearms off streets, including ghost guns and assault weapons: DA

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday that 74 firearms were taken off the streets at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica during a gun buyback event on Saturday, June 14. The weapons were exchanged for bank cards pre-loaded with cash, with no identification required and no questions asked.

“Gun buybacks serve as a critical tool for reducing gun violence and promoting public safety within our communities,” Katz said. “This Saturday, working with the NYPD and clergy leaders in Jamaica, we received 74 surrendered guns — including five automatic weapons. As a result, these firearms will not be used to cause heartache and tragedy.”

Queens Distance Runners hosts second annual track meet at St. John’s University, spotlighting Olympian and local talent

Jun. 16, 2025 By Paulina Albarracin

Dozens of runners gathered at the DaSilva Field Track in St. John’s University for the second annual track meet last month. Hosted by Queens Distance Runners (QDR), a grassroots running organization, the sporting competition welcomed sprinters and distance runners of all skill levels to test their abilities, vying for the podium in track events from 100 meters to 5,000 meters.

Elmhurst bus stop tragedy: Senior killed in freak accident involving Q52 on Friday the 13th

A Middle Village senior was struck and killed by an MTA bus in what officials say was a freak accident at a bus stop in front of Hoffman Park in Elmhurst on Friday the 13th.

Police from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst responded to a 911 call of a vehicle accident at the intersection of Hoffman Drive and Woodhaven Boulevard just before 2 p.m., where they found the victim lying on the roadway after he was struck by an MTA Q52 bus. EMS responded to the scene of the collision and rushed the senior to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short while later.