The landmark TWA Flight Center at New York's JFK Airport will continue to live on, as the face a 505-room hotel and meeting space. The project was first announced in September, 2015, and is finally moving forward with the installation of TWA Hotel signs around the construction area.
The hotel is great news for travelers in and out of JFK, especially those using JetBlue's Terminal 5, because it will be conveniently located at that terminal. All other travelers can use the airport's convenient AirTrain system to get from their terminals to the hotel. Remarkably, this will be the first hotel located inside the JFK Airport property, in spite of being one of America's busiest international airports. It was opened since 1948 as Idlewild Airport - named for the golf course upon whose land it was built - then renamed to John F. Kennedy International Airport in December, 1963, a month after the assassination of the president.
Under a partnership with JetBlue Airways, MCR Development will lead and own 95 percent the project, which is expected to be completed in late 2018. The historic terminal will remain intact and restored to its former glory. The terminal restoration alone is expected to cost $20 million. The stipulations for the property include a 75-year lease agreement. It will include 40,000 feet of meeting space and eight bars and four restaurants, according to MCR CEO Tyler Moore. The 505 room and suites will reside within two six-story towers.
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The hotel news is also appealing for aviation geeks such as myself. The building has been shuttered since 2001, when American Airlines bought TWA. The building has been nearly inaccessible ever since, though the Port Authority of New York has opened the terminal for tours about one Saturday each year until 2015. Those popularity of those open house days has proven that the building itself is a huge draw to lovers of aviation nostalgia. Among the plans for the property is a 10,000-square-foot observation deck. I presume it would face toward the runways or ramp areas so we can watch planes. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much observation to be had.
I would expect rooms at the TWA Hotel to cost a pretty penny, not only because it's the closest hotel to the JFK terminals, but also because of its historic status. Developers would be smart to make it a very upscale 4-5 star property, because the locational demand alone will ensure a high occupancy rate for most of the year. Adding luxurious finishes to the rooms and amenities such as a spa would appeal to weary travelers and boost the monetary potential even higher.
Designed by Eero Saarnien, the TWA Flight Center building looks futuristic to this day, and turns the head of everyone who passes by 55 years since it opened. Saarnien was the architect of several other famous structures, including the Saint Louis Gateway Arch, and the main terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport.
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