New York City will transform the long-abandoned Flushing Airport site in College Point, Queens, into a major new housing and green space development, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. The city plans to build around 3,000 homes and add 60 acres of public parkland on the 80-acre property, which has remained unused since the airport closed its runways in 1984.

“When it was closed down, I was a rookie cop. And ‘Ghostbusters’ was on top of the movie charts,” Adams said, recalling the era when the airport, once a local aviation hub, went dormant. “That’s how long this area has laid dormant.”

The announcement follows an executive order the mayor issued last year, directing city agencies to evaluate underused, city-owned land for potential housing projects as part of his administration’s push to tackle New York’s housing shortage.

“Forty years, this land has just been sitting around. For forty years,” Adams emphasized. “When we were talking about needing more housing, we were not looking at locations like we see here.”

According to City Hall, the massive redevelopment is expected to inject $3.2 billion into the local economy over the next 30 years. Officials estimate it will create over 1,300 union construction jobs during the building phase and generate 530 permanent jobs once the site is fully operational.

Beyond housing, the plan aims to balance urban development with sustainability. The project will include landscaping that blends with nearby wetlands, promoting ecological resilience while offering residents expanded access to open green spaces.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Transportation have already laid groundwork for future growth by extending 132nd Street to improve access to the area.

Before construction can begin, the project must undergo the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and a full environmental review, with groundbreaking expected in 2028.

The Flushing Airport plan is one of several large-scale housing initiatives Adams has prioritized to unlock underused land and help alleviate the city’s chronic housing crisis, which has driven up costs for working families across the five boroughs.

Originally reported by Patrick Adcroft in NY1.