JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) -- An iconic Kennedy airport terminal that has been vacant since closing in 2001 will have a new life as a hotel.
The TWA Hotel at Kennedy airport will incorporate the famous terminal, which was called the Trans World Flight Center when it opened in 1962. An announcement is expected Thursday.
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Left empty after it was deemed too small to handle current aviation, it cannot be demolished because it is a city landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Now, the building will undergo a $265 million renovation to become a hotel. It will have 505 guest rooms, and 40,000 square feet of event and meeting space. The hotel is expected to open in late 2018.
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The future of the building, designed by iconic architect Eero Saarinen, has been the subject of heated debate since it closed as the airport's Terminal 5 in 2001. A new terminal currently used by Jet Blue was constructed around it.