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Floyd Bennett Field gets $10M for project to reopen historic hangars
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 1:43 p.m. ET
Modified Nov 3, 2026 at 3:28 p.m. ET
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Kai Brinker via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 1:43 p.m. ET
Modified Nov 3, 2026 at 3:28 p.m. ET
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The historic hangars at Floyd Bennett Field are getting closer to reopening to the public for the first time in nearly a century.
Gov. Kathy Hochul committed $10 million in funding on Monday for the first phase of a two-part plan to transform the shuttered hangars at New York City’s first commercial airport into a public space that can host educational programming as well as cultural events.
The redevelopment will reopen hangars 3 and 4 to the public for the first time in nearly a century.
“These haven't been open to the public in nearly a century,” said Anastasia Yankopoulos, director of development and capital projects at Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy.
“People being able to step on the same ground where famous aviators of the golden era were, like, fixing their planes, that’s the biggest excitement.”
The first phase of construction on hangars 3 and 4 includes building renewable energy sources onsite, the conservancy said. The plan includes solar power on the roof and geothermal energy in the lawn in front of the buildings. The structures will also get bathrooms and other upgrades for use as a large events space such as concerts.
The conservancy plans to break ground in early 2028, after the National Park Service finishes improvements to the building exteriors. The total time of construction is estimated to span one year for the first phase. The conservancy is fundraising for the project.
“This money from the governor was such a huge boost to get this project to where it needs to be,” said Elizabeth Stoehr, deputy director of the Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy.
The second phase, which could begin shortly after, would further build out the space with an observation terrace and an area for purchasing food and beverages. Hangar 3 is slated to support park activities such as kayaking and biking.
Hangar 4 will host research projects with the Science and Resilience Center of Jamaica Bay, which is restoring West Pond. The structure will house labs, classrooms, meeting rooms and a workshop. In total, the redevelopment will add approximately 50,000 square feet for public use.
“The very fabric of the building, the very bricks, the very concrete were sentinels of this incredible aviation history and this idea that real innovation happened there,” Stoehr said. “It is thrilling that we get to work in this space that has such historical significance.”
In their present condition, hangars 3 and 4 are not accessible to the public or acceptable for use. Since the airfield was decommissioned, the hangars have not had much usage.
“The hangars have never been appropriately programmed and used to their full potential,” Yankopoulos said.
Floyd Bennett Field is a defunct airport in the Marine Park section of southeast Brooklyn, located on Jamaica Bay. The airstrip was opened in 1931 after roughly three years of construction and a cost of approximately $4.5 million. In 1933, Floyd Bennett Field had more than double the flights of Newark Airport, and was the second-busiest airport in America.
During World War II, the airfield became a naval base until 1970. The Coast Guard continued to use the facility for its helicopters until 1998.
In 1974, the airstrip reopened as part of Gateway National Recreation Area and managed by the National Park Service. While the flights no longer take off from the airfield, the New York City Police Department uses the runways as a helicopter base and another runway is reserved for radio-controlled craft enthusiasts. The current facility also has a campground and hosts astronomy events.
The surviving original structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. According to the National Park Service, many famous aviators and historic flights took-off from Floyd Bennett Field, including Amelia Earhart, John Glenn and Howard Hughes.
The airport is named after Floyd Bennett, a navy pilot who was the first to fly over the North Pole. Bennett died at the age of 37 from pneumonia shortly after a mission to rescue a stranded crew during World War I.
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Floyd Bennett.
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Rosemary Misdary
Rosemary is health & science reporter. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 646-544-9524.
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