Runway Green has signed a 60-year lease with the National Park Service for a 7-acre campus at Floyd Bennett Field in Marine Park, creating a permanent base for an education initiative focused on hands-on learning and career exploration for New York City public school students.
The $60 million project is planned for a portion of the historic airfield, which is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Runway Green expects the campus eventually to reach as many as 50,000 students through partnerships with schools, employers, nonprofit organizations, colleges and public agencies.
The first phase is expected to break ground next year with a 3-acre urban farm developed in partnership with The Campaign Against Hunger.
“This lease turns a bold vision into a public commitment to New York City’s young people,” said Geoff Roehm, founder and executive director of Runway Green. “At Floyd Bennett Field, we will build an educational ecosystem where schools, employers, nonprofits, colleges and public agencies work together to create learning experiences no single institution could provide on its own."
Future plans include a public high school, welcome center, ropes course and campgrounds, along with programs focused on clean energy, sustainable agriculture, building decarbonization and marine science.
The project adds an education and workforce-development component to Floyd Bennett Field, New York City's first municipal airport and a site with a significant aviation and military history. The National Park Service says the field today includes more than 1,300 acres of grassland, salt marshes, tidal mudflats and recreational facilities.
Runway Green has secured $9.3 million in public investment toward the project, including $1 million from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, $3.3 million from the New York City Council and $2 million in federal funding. An additional $3 million has been designated for site improvements.
The organization has already begun pilot programs with New York City schools and partner groups. It is also developing relationships with organizations including the City University of New York, NYC Outward Bound Schools, Solar One, NY Sun Works, Billion Oyster Project and The Urban Assembly.
The permanent campus is expected to be developed in phases, with programming expanding over time to students from schools across the five boroughs.
