Aviator Sports Complex at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn will close in less than a month. The sudden news may break up a bond between young gymnasts.
“We’re very close friends now. It’s kind of like a second family to me,” gymnast Sophia Balsamo said.
“I started crying because I didn’t know what was going to happen next,” gymnast Leila Beckford said.
What You Need To Know
- The indoor facility of Aviator Sports Complex at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn will close in less than a month
- Young girls on several gymnastics teams are now looking for a new home
- Management did not provide a reason for the decision to not renew its lease with the National Parks Service, which rents out the building, ending a 22-year partnership
- NPS says it offered a one-year contract extension. The operator says it hopes to keep outdoor facilities open through this fall
The girls are part of one of several teams now looking for a new home.
“It’s such a well-utilized sports area, and I just know everyone would be devastated if we were to lose it,” parent Chrissy Grasso said.
Parents say packing up and finding another location won’t be easy.
“Each gym would have to audition each of our girls. They would have to go through an evaluation process and it’s very unlikely that a group this size could stay together,” parent Bethany Scott said.
Management did not provide a reason for the decision to not renew its lease with the National Parks Service, which rents out the building, ending a 22-year partnership.
NPS says it offered a one-year contract extension. There’s been a request for proposal for a new operator.
“If it were to close down, where else would we go?” gymnast Penelope Burney asked.
“Please keep Aviator running because this is just a big part of all of our lives,” gymnast Annabel Morgan said.
The indoor facility is set to close April 14. The operator says it hopes to keep outdoor facilities open through this fall.