A defunct Queens airfield, once a thriving travel hub before being abandoned in the 1980s, is about to become one of NYC’s largest redevelopment projects. According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the city is moving forward with a $3.2 billion plan to turn the former Flushing Airport into a mixed-use neighborhood with about 3,000 homes and nearly 60 acres of public parkland.
“For too many decades, this valuable land has sat vacant, but our administration said it was time to change that,” former Mayor Eric Adams said when unveiling the proposal last year. “We are advancing generational projects to deliver the housing New Yorkers need and fighting every day to make our city more affordable and the best place to raise a family.”
Located in the College Point neighborhood of Queens, the site, which opened in 1927 as Speed’s Airport and was later designated as Flushing Airport, was once considered one of New York City’s busiest airfields. But commercial air traffic was sidelined there when the much larger LaGuardia Airport opened nearby in 1939.
The airport then pivoted to general aviation, serving as a critical base for the Civil Air Patrol during World War II. During the 1964/1965 World’s Fair, it was the base for Goodyear Blimps taking tourists on sightseeing rides. It also housed skywriting planes and local traffic news copters.
The airport’s growth was then choked by surrounding urban development and frequent flooding and a fatal crash involving a Piper Twin Comanche in 1977 forced its closure. The property has been vacant since 1984.
The latest proposal for the land, which will weave housing into the existing wetlands environment through elevated walking paths, nature overlooks, seating areas and restored habitats, is being led by Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR, a prominent real estate development, investment, and property management firm, in conjunction with the EDC. It is projected to generate $3.2 billion in economic activity over the next three decades while creating roughly 1,300 union construction jobs and 530 permanent positions. Construction is expected to begin in 2028.