The site of an aviation school once operated by the now-defunct Dowling College has recently been razed, allowing construction of an industrial and recreational project envisioned by a venture capital partnership based in Morristown, NJ, to commence.
According to a March 2 report by Long Island Business News (LIBN), Hampshire Venture Partners LLC, an affiliate of Hampshire Real Estate Company, acquired the 105-acre parcel in June 2025. Nine months later, the 72,000-square-foot dormitory that once stood there has been demolished. Plans for the parcel next to Calabro Airport include constructing three speculative warehouse structures and a $25-million recreation center with two ice hockey rinks.
According to the redevelopment plan, 53,000 square feet of office space, classrooms, and an airplane hangar have been preserved for future use. The remaining 45 acres will be donated to the Town of Brookhaven, which includes 22 acres of open wooded areas and three athletic fields.
The project is expected to generate 489 construction jobs and 189 full-time warehouse operation positions, according to the Suffolk County Planning Commission. The space was previously owned by Triple Five Aviation Industries, which purchased it after Dowling’s 2018 bankruptcy sale for $14 million.
The fate of the former Dowling College main campus in Oakdale (aka Idle Hour Estate) remains uncertain, as trespassing and vandalism are ongoing problems at the derelict property.
A public hearing by the Brookhaven Town Planning Board on the matter is scheduled for 3 p.m. on March 26 at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville, and it will also be livestreamed.
