New York State makes a major commitment to the future of historic Hangars 3 & 4 at Floyd Bennett Field, building on significant National Park Service investment already advancing the project.
Rendering courtesy of LTL Architects.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a $10 million State investment in the reactivation and adaptive reuse of historic Hangars 3 & 4 at Floyd Bennett Field — a major milestone for a project ready to take flight.
Part of Gateway National Recreation Area, Floyd Bennett Field is one of New York City’s great treasures — a remarkable place where history, nature, and community come together at the edge of Jamaica Bay. New York City’s first municipal airport and later the busiest U.S. Naval Air Station during World War II, today it is part of a national park and home to hundreds of acres of natural areas and unique opportunities for recreation and exploration.
Working in partnership with the National Park Service, JBRPC is transforming Hangars 3 & 4 into a year-round destination and a new platform for people to experience, learn from, and care for Jamaica Bay. Plans bring together education and workforce development, environmental research and restoration, technological innovation, arts and culture, community gathering, and visitor amenities — creating possibilities found nowhere else in New York.
The State’s $10 million commitment builds on a $26 million investment by the National Park Service to rehabilitate the historic buildings’ exterior and will help advance the first phase of JBRPC’s work inside the Hangars — preparing nearly 50,000 square feet of historic space for public use and opening their doors to the public for the first time in nearly a century.
That vision is already taking shape across Floyd Bennett Field. JBRPC is expanding school field trips and environmental education, advancing stewardship and restoration planning across the landscape, and creating new opportunities for people to experience the site — including the recent Floyd Bennett Field! Public Arts Festival, which brought nearly 2,000 people together for an evening of art, community, and large-scale projection mapping on the historic Hangars.
JBRPC is proud to lead this effort in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State, the City University of New York, local elected officials, and a growing network of partners. The transformation of Hangars 3 & 4 demonstrates what is possible when public agencies, nonprofit organizations, researchers, and communities come together around a shared vision for public parkland.
We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and New York State for this major investment and for recognizing the potential of Floyd Bennett Field. Momentum is building toward opening these historic Hangar doors and beginning an exciting new chapter at Floyd Bennett Field.
