Congressman Meeks and New York State and City Officials Announce JFK Airport Lease Extension

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and the New York Port Authority announced a lease extension for the Port Authority at JFK Airport. The extension will enable the Port Authority to restructure private-public partnership deals and preserve private investments that further JFK Airport's redevelopment, a project that's key to driving our region's economic recovery.

"I thank Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, Borough President Richards and Executive Director of the Port Authority, Rick Cotton, for their continued work with me to ensure a successful JFK redevelopment.

"In addition to fighting COVID-19 and addressing our health care challenges, it is critical that policymakers focus on ensuring our economic recovery is both robust and equitable. In New York, support for the Port Authority and its ongoing redevelopment projects, including at JFK Airport, will be key to a more even economic revitalization after the pandemic. Today's lease extension announcement will allow for deal restructuring which will ensure the long-term sustainability of JFK's redevelopment and allow us on the federal level to continue our work to address the Port's $3 billion shortfall with the Biden Administration in the upcoming COVID-19 relief bill, a real threat to job growth in New York. Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, Borough President Richards, Port Authority and myself have been working diligently to shore up the Port's ongoing projects and I thank them for their hard work," said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks.

As Co-chair of the Community Advisory Council, Congressman Meeks has been working with Borough President Richards to see that each and every priority from before COVID-19 carries through long after the pandemic.

With today's news, the JFK Redevelopment Program is one step closer to heeding the community's call for robust workforce development programs, business development opportunities, educational programs and environmental sustainability commitments for the neighborhoods surrounding JFK. The project will draw more than $10 billion of private investment, creating 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, billions of dollars in MWBE and local contracting opportunities, and other extensive community benefits.