Site visits at all locations (sports and events center, driving range, pitch and putt) are now scheduled for Tuesday, January 28th, and Wednesday, February 12, from 10 am to 3 pm. Prospective applicants should ensure they visit all three locations on the same day. Please be sure to register in advance by emailing Gateway_BMD@nps.gov and providing the name of your company and the names/emails of attendees.
Summary of the Leasing Opportunity:
This Request for Proposals (RFP) provides the opportunity for any interested individual or organization, hereinafter referred to as “Offeror” (Offeror, ‘you’, ‘your’) to submit proposals to the National Park Service (NPS, ‘Lessor’) to lease NPS property at Gateway National Recreation Area for use as Sports and Event Center under the following general terms and conditions.
This Lease opportunity is open on a competitive basis and the Facility will be delivered to Lessee, “As-is, with all faults. The selected Offeror will have exclusive rights to negotiate a lease based on the attached Sample Lease (See Attachment A). Elements of your proposal may be incorporated into the Lease at Lessor’s discretion.
Overview of Property Offered for Lease:
Historic Hangars 5, 6, 7, and 8 are located in the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation. The area in which they are located, Floyd Bennett Field, is a National Register Historic District. The hangars have been repurposed as a sports and event center and are located at 3159 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, between the Belt Parkway and Marine Parkway Bridge. The sports and events center is located in a National Park in an area that is open to the public.
Hangars 5 & 6 and Hangars 7 & 8 are connected by a steel frame infill, creating a 117,000 sq. ft. (16,300 m2) indoor recreation facility. Though the Hangars are historic structures, the infill is not. The two-floor facility contains offices, a pro shop, two regulation sized ice-hockey rinks, a snack bar, a lounge area, event space, gyms, locker rooms, patios, a climbing wall, and an outdoor swimming pool(s).
Additional recreation fields and facilities included in the Premises include the Chiller Building, South Football Field, North Football Field, South Bleachers, North Bleachers, Playing Field East Shed, and Playing Field West Shed. The sports and events center area also includes free parking for 2,000 cars, additional traffic circulation infrastructure, fencing, lights, and scoreboards.
A site visit for prospective Offerors is expected to take place in mid to late January of 2025. More information will be posted here: Do Business With Us - Gateway National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
Use of the Lease Premises:
NPS intends to authorize the continued operation of the facility and associated lands as a sports center, recreational facility, and event venue, however NPS will consider additional proposed uses so long as such uses are determined by the NPS, in its sole discretion, to be lawful and consistent with the purposes established by law for the park area. In addition to the sports and events facility, areas authorized for use will include sports fields, walkways, and some parking areas. The facility will also entail non-exclusive use of specified runways for large-scale outdoor events, subject to carrying capacity limits imposed by NPS. All outdoor large-scale special events require prior NPS written approval, which is subject to NPS’ sole discretion.
The area is subject to the general supervision and inspection of the NPS and to rules and regulations regarding ingress, egress, safety, sanitation, and security. The Lessee shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the Premises and any improvements to the Premises that may be necessary during the term of the proposed Lease.
Key Information About the Authorized Use:
Term of the Lease: No lease shall have a term of more than 20 years, and the NPS anticipates a term between 10 and 20 years. The lease term will commence as soon as possible following selection of the best offer, completion of lease negotiations, and execution of a lease.
Rent: NPS is required under 36 CFR Part 18 to receive, at a minimum, fair market value rent. Offerors should identify the amount of Rent they proposed to pay in connection with this opportunity. The NPS may provide rental offsets for capital improvements. The final rent payment schedule will be negotiated with the selected Offeror.
Lessee’s Responsibilities:
-
Insurance: During the term of this Lease, the Lessee shall maintain General Liability, Property & Casualty, Worker’s Compensation & Employer’s Liability, and Business Interruption & Extra Expense insurance in amounts set by the Lessor. At Lease commencement, Lessee must provide proof of property insurance in the amount sufficient to provide loss, damage, and destruction coverage for a facility of this size, scope, and use, as well as proof of commercial general liability insurance in the amount of not less than $3,000,000 single/$5,000,000 aggregate, with additional excess liability insurance [umbrella] necessary to provide adequate coverage or protection consistent with industry standards.
-
Access Points: The Flatbush Avenue entrance is currently closed to vehicular traffic due to safety and circulation concerns. This requires visitors to the facility to drive in through Aviation Road, a more circuitous route. The selected Applicant will be responsible for reconfiguring vehicular access to/from the Flatbush Avenue entrance to/from the facility at its sole cost and expense.
-
Deferred Maintenance: Historic Hangars 5, 6, 7, and 8 require substantial rehabilitation. The NPS estimates the facility may require approximately $5 million in necessary repairs to make the property fit for long-term use. This estimate does not include the cost of tenant fit-outs for any specific use. Offerors are responsible for providing credible cost estimates consistent with industry standards for proposed improvements to the premises.
Offerors are responsible for deriving credible cost estimates based on industry standards for any improvements or repairs to the premises. A more complete list of required repairs or improvements is included in the RFP: Attachment E: Description of Required Improvements.
-
Building Codes and Zoning: The premises are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government and are not subject to the zoning regulations of Kings County. However, the NPS requires that any repairs or improvements to premises comply with the 2024 International Building Code and 2023 NFPA 70 (NEC), per National Park Service requirement, including the 2024 ICC Codes. The more stringent requirement will be used in the event there is a conflict between the 2024 IBC and the NY UCC requirements.
-
Please note that any proposal selected is likely to require compliance review in accordance with one or more of the laws, regulations or policies listed above. The cost of any such compliance process as well as the costs of plan review, code review, construction inspections, and any permitting required shall be borne by the Lessee.
-
Utilities: The Lessee is solely responsible for all utilities including telephone, cable, and internet access. Subject to advance written approval by the Lessor of any utility service, the Lessee at its sole expense shall make all arrangements with appropriate utility providers (including the Lessor where applicable), for all utilities not provided by the Lessor and furnished to the Premises. Any utility service provided by Lessor will be subject to the Lessor’s established policies and procedures for provision of utility services to third parties.
-
Lessee shall ensure that all trash, recycling, and composting meet applicable federal, state, and local requirements and goals.
A link to the RFP and corresponding attachments, as well as information about other opportunities at Gateway National Recreation Area, can found here: Do Business With Us - Gateway National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
