Editing Floyd Bennett Field (section)

====Site chosen====
Chamberlin chose Barren Island as the site for the new municipal airport.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNew%2520York%2520Evening%2520Post%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Evening%2520Post%25201928%2520Grayscale%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Evening%2520Post%25201928%2520Grayscale%2520-%25204191.pdf |title=Airport Catches Chamberlin's Eye |work=New York Evening Post |page=2 |date=June 3, 1928 |access-date=December 15, 2017 |via=[[Fultonhistory.com]] |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614154006/https://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/New%20York%20Evening%20Post/New%20York%20NY%20Evening%20Post%201928%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Evening%20Post%201928%20Grayscale%20-%204191.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NYTimes-Sand-Waste-1930">{{cite news |title=Floyd Bennett Field Grows from Sand Waste; Municipal Airport Will Have Facilities for Both Land And Water Planes – Other Fields Rank High Battle With Sand. Two Concrete Runways. To House Services. |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |date=July 20, 1930 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/07/20/107112388.pdf |access-date=January 8, 2018 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331132711/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/07/20/107112388.html?pdf_redirect=true&site=false |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Wrenn|1975|p=17}} An isolated settlement{{sfn|Historic Structure Report Volume 1|1981|p=10}} on the island had been developed in the late 19th century,{{sfn|Cody|2009|p=15}} and at its peak, had been home to "several thousand" people.{{sfn|Historic Structure Report Volume 1|1981|p=10}} A [[Garbage incineration|garbage incinerator]] and a [[glue factory]] had been located on the island.{{sfn|Historic Structure Report Volume 1|1981|p=10}} By the 1920s, Barren Island's industrial presence had dwindled, and only a small percentage of residents remained on the island.{{sfn|Historic Structure Report Volume 1|1981|p=13}} In 1927, a pilot named [[Paul Rizzo]] had opened the Barren Island Airport, a private airstrip, on the island.{{sfn|Cody|2009|p=34}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Seitz |first1=Sharon |last2=Miller |first2=Stuart |title=The Other Islands of New York City: A History and Guide |publisher=Countryman Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-58157-886-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zRjMPZW4heMC&pg=PA257 |page=263 |edition=3rd |access-date=January 20, 2018 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331132146/https://books.google.com/books?id=zRjMPZW4heMC&pg=PA257 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Chamberlin chose the Barren Island location over Middle Village for several reasons. First, city officials had already spent $100 million between 1900 and 1927 toward constructing a [[seaport]] in Jamaica Bay, having dredged land for the proposed shipping channels.{{sfn|Kaufman|1950|p=151}}{{sfn|Wrenn|1975|p=12}} Chamberlin also favored the Barren Island location because of the lack of obstructions nearby, as well as the presence of Jamaica Bay, which would allow [[seaplanes]] to also use the airport.{{sfn|Cody|2009|p=49}}{{sfn|Historic Structure Report Volume 1|1981|p=9}}{{sfn|Wrenn|1975|p=12}} Finally, the site was city-owned, while the land in Middle Village was not.{{sfn|Cody|2009|p=49}}{{sfn|Historic Structure Report Volume 1|1981|p=9}}<ref name=DailyStar-Airport-Disfavored-1928/> City officials believed that an airport at Barren Island would be able to spur development of Jamaica Bay, despite the abandonment of the seaport proposal.{{sfn|Cody|2009|p=49}} However, [[airline]] companies feared that the Barren Island Airport would have low visibility during foggy days,<ref name=DailyStar-Airport-Disfavored-1928/> a claim Chamberlin disputed because he said there was little history of fog in the area.{{sfn|Historic Structure Report Volume 1|1981|p=9}}