The National Park Service has leased a 7-hectare site in Brooklyn's Marine Park neighbourhood to a non-profit workforce development organisation. Runway Green entered into a 60-year agreement with the US federal government to build a US$60 million agricultural and environmental education facility at Floyd Bennett Field, the organisation stated. The former airfield, near Jamaica Bay, is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, managed by the Park Service.
Phase one of the project will commence next year, with 3 hectares dedicated to urban agriculture in partnership with the Campaign Against Hunger. Geoff Roehm, Founder and Executive Director of Runway Green, stated in a release that this lease agreement transforms a bold vision into a public commitment to New York City's young people. He elaborated that an educational ecosystem would be created at Floyd Bennett Field, where schools, employers, non-profits, higher education institutions, and government agencies collaborate to provide learning experiences that no single institution could offer alone.
Funding and future use
Runway Green has already raised US$9.3 million of its US$60 million budget from a mix of public sources. This includes US$1 million from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, US$3.3 million from the New York City Council, as well as funds from the US federal government. Upon completion, the Runway Green facility will serve up to 50,000 New York City public school students annually, according to the organisation.
US Senator Charles Schumer commented that Runway Green would provide New York City students with the skills and experiences they need for success, whilst making one of Brooklyn's great public assets more accessible, engaging, and meaningful for the communities it serves. Floyd Bennett Field, located on Barren Island on the coast of Jamaica Bay, served as New York City's first airport in the 1920s and 1930s before being used as a naval air station during World War II.
Cooperations and partners
Further partners in subsequent phases of the facility's development include a number of renowned educational institutions and organisations.
- —City University of New York
- —NYC Outward Bound Schools
- —Solar One
- —New York Sun Works
- —Billion Oyster Project
- —Urban Assembly
