The $60 million project is expected to reach as many as 50,000 New York City public school students with programs focused on agriculture, “environmental stewardship,” career exploration and other real-world learning opportunities. 

The first phase is expected to break ground in 2027 with a three-acre urban farm developed in collaboration with The Campaign Against Hunger. Plans call for a public high school, welcome center, ropes course and campgrounds, as well as programs tied to clean energy, sustainable agriculture, building decarbonization and marine science. 

The education campus would add another new chapter to Floyd Bennett Field, which has recently seen changes of its own. The former Aviator Sports and Event Center transitioned to the Floyd Bennett Sports Complex under a new operator this summer, keeping recreational programming at the historic airfield as Runway Green moves forward with plans to establish an education hub nearby.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said he was “proud” to secure federal funding for the project. 

“Runway Green will equip New York City students with the skills and experiences they need to succeed while making one of Brooklyn’s great public assets more accessible, engaging, and meaningful to the communities it serves.”

The project has already garnered $9.3 million in public investment toward its $60 million budget. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso committed $1 million, while the New York City Council invested $3.3 million, championed by Council Member Mercedes Narcisse. Schumer, along with fellow New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, secured $2 million in federal funding. Another $3 million in public funding has been designated for site improvements supporting the campus. 

Geoff Roehm, founder and executive director of Runway Green, said that the 60-year lease will “turns a bold vision into a public commitment to New York City’s young people.”

“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,” he continued. 

The campus, located within Gateway National Recreation Area, is being designed as shared educational infrastructure connecting schools with employers, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions and public agencies. 

Runway Green said the site will use Floyd Bennett Field’s natural, historic and physical resources to provide opportunities that individual schools and organizations may not be able to offer on their own.

Runway Green has already begun piloting student experiences with New York City schools and partner organizations while planning the permanent campus. The organization expects to eventually expand programming to students from “hundreds of schools across all five boroughs.”

The nonprofit is also in discussions with potential partners including the City University of New York, NYC Outward Bound Schools, Solar One, NY Sun Works, Billion Oyster Project and The Urban Assembly.

“Floyd Bennett Field is an incredible public asset, and this investment with Runway Green is about making sure our young people can experience everything it has to offer,” Reynoso said in a statement. “We are giving young Brooklynites the space and resources to discover what is possible for their futures by creating opportunities for hands-on learning and career exploration.” 

Narcisse said the lease will help make the City Council’s investment in the project a long-term resource for Southeast Brooklyn students. 

“I have been proud to champion the City Council’s investment in Runway Green because the young people and communities of Southeast Brooklyn deserve access to extraordinary educational opportunities close to home,” she said. “The signing of this 60-year lease ensures that the public funding we secured can help build something lasting at Floyd Bennett Field — an educational campus that will serve students from our community and across New York City for generations.”

Runway Green said the agreement took years of planning and collaboration with the National Park Service, educators, community organizers, funders and civic leaders, which provides the organization with long-term stability to invest in permanent infrastructure and expand its network of partners.

“This lease is a clear commitment to what New York City’s young people deserve,” Jonathan D. Harber, chairman of Runway Green, said. “With a 60-year home at Floyd Bennett Field, Runway Green now has the certainty to serve generations of students with hands-on, nature-based learning connected directly to industry. It’s time to lift off.”