Press Releases
MEDIA & PUBLIC GET FIRST DETAILED LOOK AT $15 MILLION, 150,000 SQUARE FOOT FAMILY SPORTS COMPLEX PLANNED FOR GATEWAY NATIONAL PARK
COMING SOON: HOCKEY AND ICE SKATING RINKS, BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL COURTS, FOOTBALL, SOCCER, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND MORE
DEVELOPMENT PLANS, BLUEPRINTS, COMPUTER RENDERINGS MADE AVAILABLE FOR VERY FIRST TIME
Brooklyn, NY – Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn & Queens), officials from Gateway National Park, and New York City based Aviator Sports gave the public their first detailed look at the new $15 million sports complex being planned for Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field. At a press conference today, development plans, blueprints, and computer generated pictures of what the complex will look like when its completed were made available to the public and media for the very first time.
For weeks, Brooklyn has been buzzing with the news that a brand new, multi-use sports complex is coming to Gateway National Park. Today, Rep. Weiner and Gateway offered New Yorkers their first glimpse of how four airplane hangers at historic Floyd Bennett Field will soon be transformed into a recreational hub for the City.
COMING SOON: THE FLOYD BENNET FIELD FAMILY SPORTS COMPLEX:
- State of the art ice hockey and skating rinks. A 40,000 square foot area located between hangars five, six, seven and eight will be transformed into a full size, 85 by 200 foot ice hockey rink, complete with seating for 500 - 700 spectators, lockers for local sports clubs, offices, concessions, and dock for zamboni. This will be complimented by a 60 by 124 foot skating rink in hangar six, to be used for recreational skating and pee-wee league hockey.
- Six full size basketball and volleyball courts. Two wood floor basketball/volleyball courts will be built in hangar five, with scoreboards and spectator seating. Four additional courts to be used for basketball and volleyball will be built into a 16,800 foot special events space located in hangar seven.
- Extensive football and soccer facilities. An 82,500 square foot artificial turf soccer and football field featuring bleachers and lighting will be established to the northwest of the hangars, along with two 50 by 110 foot indoor soccer fields in hangar eight.
- Full service recreational facilities. A 3,500 foot gymnasium will be built into the hangar five lean-to, with men’s and women’s locker rooms and saunas. A climbing wall will be erected in hangar seven.
- Game and party rooms, food court and pro shop. Food and game courts will be readily accessible from every hangar, as well as party rooms. A 2,000 square foot pro shop will be located between hangars five and six.
The eight hangars at Floyd Bennett Field have stood sentry along Flatbush Avenue since 1931, when construction was completed on New York City’s first municipal airport. Most famously used for Navy war planes during World War II, the hangars have since become an integral part of Gateway National Park.
The family sports complex will be housed in hangars five through eight, which are located to the northwest of Floyd Bennett’s municipal building. The hangars are huge, each measuring approximately 140 by 120 feet, with a height of 22 feet. In addition, each is abutted by a 30 by 140 foot "lean to."
Effective April 15, Gateway awarded Aviator Sports, a New York City based concessionaire, a twenty year contract to develop and operate the sports complex. The development will take place in three phases.
Phase one, which should be completed after the first six months of construction, will involve stabilizing and rehabilitating the hangers. Phase two–opening of the skating rinks and pro shop--will be completed by the end of the first year of construction. By the end of year two the remainder of the complex will be completed, ending phase three. Heavy construction is expected to begin on August 1, and to be wrapped up by the Fall of 2005.
When operating at full capacity, officials expect the sports complex to generate revenues of up to $5 million a year.
"For decades, Floyd Bennett Field has been one of Gateway’s great old soldiers, offering visitors a glimpse of our war time past," said Rep. Weiner. "Now, it’s going to get a jolt of new life, while still retaining its historic value. The complex will become a recreational staple for families from throughout the five boroughs, and will introduce millions to Gateway."
"We really appreciate all of Congressman Weiner’s hard work in making this project become a reality," said Joseph Monetti, General Manager of Aviator Sports.
Currently, the areas in and around the hangers at Floyd Bennett Field play host to a variety of activities, none of which should be disrupted by the construction of the complex. The volunteers of the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project work in Hanger B to renovate old airplanes. The Floyd Bennett Garden Association grows plants and vegetables on the field. And the Gateway Environmental Center provides area teachers with environmental training. Importantly, the remaining four hangers will be untouched by the project, allowing them to retain their historic character.
For the past six years, Rep. Weiner has made sustaining Gateway, and improving its facilities a top priority. In fact, Weiner has helped secure of $34,848,000 million dollars for Gateway since being elected to Congress in 1998.
Congressman Anthony D. Weiner
