Courtesy S9 Architecture
MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday announced plans to transform the long-vacant Flushing Airport in Queens into a new community featuring 3,000 homes and 60 acres of open space, marking one of the largest housing proposals on city-owned land in decades.
The $3.2 billion redevelopment will be led by Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated. Officials say it will create more than 1,300 union construction jobs and over 500 permanent careers. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, following the city’s land use review and environmental approvals.
“For too many decades, this valuable land has sat vacant, but our administration said it was time to change that,” Adams said. “We issued a landmark executive order to build housing on city-owned sites like this one and now, we are excited to announce we will create around 3,000 new homes at the site of the former Flushing Airport.”
The project will be financed and built with union pension dollars and labor. Developers plan to incorporate sustainable construction, explore the use of mass timber, and design wetlands-compatible landscaping that includes walking paths, sitting areas and wildlife habitat.
“The redevelopment of the former Flushing Airport will deliver thousands of affordable and accessible homes that are financed by, built by, and lived in by union workers, as a result of our partnership with Cirrus and Mayor Adams,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.
Originally opened in 1927, Flushing Airport was once the city’s busiest airfield before being decommissioned in 1984. Since then, the site has largely reverted to marshland. Adams said the plan will repurpose a piece of Queens history into homes for working families.
“At the dawn of modern aviation a century ago, Flushing Airport made history as New York City’s first-ever airfield and eventually the busiest airport in the five boroughs. But today, we’re beginning the process of repurposing that incredible piece of Queens’ history into a critical aspect of Queens’ future,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.
Union leaders and labor groups hailed the announcement as a turning point for affordable workforce housing in the city.
“This transformative project to build working class housing will be built by the members of Building Trades unions such as Steamfitters Local 638,” said Robert Bartels Jr., business manager of the union. “As a union, we have the simple belief that if you build something, then you should be able to afford to live in it.”
Joseph McDonnell, managing partner of Cirrus Workforce Housing, said the development would prioritize middle-class New Yorkers. “Cirrus looks forward to collaborating with local elected officials, labor unions, community organizations, and residents to bring this transformative project to life,” he said.
Adams has pledged to build 500,000 new homes by 2032, calling the city’s housing crisis “generational.” Officials said the Flushing Airport project will play a critical role in that goal, alongside rezonings and other city-led housing initiatives.
“This proposal is exactly what working New Yorkers have been waiting for — thousands of new homes, good union jobs, and a healthier future for our communities,” said Joseph Azzopardi, business manager and secretary treasurer of the District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.
Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said the housing could also help keep police officers and first responders in the city they serve. “This development is a welcome step toward making it easier for New York City police officers and our fellow first responders to live in the city we protect,” Hendry said.
NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball said the project will strike a balance between growth and preservation. “The redevelopment of the former Flushing Airport is finally ready for take-off,” Kimball said. “We are thrilled to work with Cirrus and LCOR to transform this long-vacant site into a mixed-use project that will deliver thousands of workforce housing units, new public green space, and other community amenities all while protecting and preserving the wetlands.”
