The Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Center (Bedford Union Armory) is FINALLY here!

Photo Credit to Brett Beyer, T.Maynard,

and NYC Council

Dear District 35 Neighbors,

Blood, sweat, tears, a whole pregnancy, and City Council campaign later, and here we are! The Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center is here! It is finally here! Opportunity is here! A place where our children can connect to their dreams, passions, talents, and creativity is finally here! And every single sacrifice we made to get our community to this point was so worth it. I had this dream in my mind for so long and for it to finally be here is a dream come true. Basketball, swimming, soccer, archery, lacrosse, dance, drumming, tech, coding, yoga, and meditation all under one roof! It’s all here and then some. Our community is going to have a health center for those that are uninsured. Not to mention 260 units of truly affordable housing, which is more affordable housing than Crown Heights has seen in over 50 years.

What an honor to carry forth the legacy of so many Brooklyn icons that people will learn about like:

Congress Member Major Owens who had the vision to turn the Armory into a world class recreation center,
Congress Member Shirley Chisholm the first Black woman elected to Congress,
Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in Major League Baseball right across the street in Ebbets Field,
Dr. Susan Smith McKinney, the first Black woman to ever earn a Medical Degree from New York State to,
Rev. Dr. Clarence Norman Sr., who created one of the largest African American houses of worship in Brooklyn, New York and,
Rabbi Menachem Schneerson who believed that there were not two Crown Heights but one Crown Heights.

To me the Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Community Center embodies the concept of One Crown Heights. African-American children, Muslim children, Caribbean children, Jewish children, Latino children, White children, and LGBTQ children will all come together under one roof to realize their dreams. It is my hope that the children of this community will create a more inclusive, innovative and empathetic world.

What we have here is a start. It is far from finished, perfect, or totally worked out. There is still so much more to do to make the Armory all that we have imagined. Whether you were for the project or against the project what we need now is for everyone to roll up their sleeves, lend their ideas, solutions, resources, connections and talents to make it a success because now more than ever in the midst of this global pandemic, our children need us to put aside our differences and make the Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Community Center and the Carey Gabay Recreation Center a success. Because when our children succeed, our community succeeds. I want our children to know that the Armory is a place where their dreams matter. A place where their dreams can come true. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at the Bedford Union Armory!

Warmest regards,

Laurie A. Cumbo

NYC Council Majority Leader

"Don't listen to those who say you can't. Listen to the voice inside yourself that says, I can." - Shirley Chisholm

A Look at The Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Center

Photo Credit: Brett Beyer

To access more photos of the center, visit here.

Photo Credit: Brett Beyer

Also, to learn more about the center, click here.

On Wednesday, November 27th, the community gathered together for the ribbon cutting of The Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Center. Here you can access some of the press coverage:

1).PHOTOS: Excitement Fills Bedford Union Armory as Major Owens Community Center Officially Opens

2). The Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center Opens its Doors in Crown Heights

3).Nonprofits Now Have New Home In Brooklyn, Thanks To Transformation Of Bedford-Union Armory

4).Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Community Center Officially Opens in Bedford Union Armory

5).Crown Heights Celebrates Opening of New Community Rec Center

6).Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at the Grand Opening of the Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Community Center