Abandoned Fighter Jet Test Site Under Review for Cannabis Cultivation Facility

NEW YORK – A long-vacant former Grumman Aerospace complex in Calverton, NY, has become the subject of a preliminary proposal to repurpose its buildings for indoor Cannabis grow.

The 20-acre property, which includes three office buildings constructed between 1960 and 1988, has been vacant since Grumman ended operations in 1996. The site previously served as a testing and assembly location for U.S. Navy and Marine fighter jets, including the F-14 Tomcat.

Manhattan-based Signature Partners acquired the property in early January 2026 for $750,000. The company representatives introduced preliminary plans to the Central Pine Barrens Commission, which oversees development in the protected Pine Barrens region.

“We want to be clear that we are not in the Cannabis business and are just providing a suitable facility to grow plants indoors under controlled and secure conditions. Furthermore, no retail sales will be permitted.”, CEO of Signature Partners Andrew M. Weiss Jr. stated in a letter to the commission.

The proposal seeks to convert the existing structures, totaling approximately 126,500 square feet with 337 parking spaces, into an indoor Cannabis grow operation. Planned work includes interior renovations, parking lot resurfacing, landscaping, and utilities upgrades. Signature Partners characterized the effort as a restoration project that reuses current buildings rather than adding new constructions.

The site is located in the Core Preservation Area of the Central Pine Barrens, where state regulations treat the proposed change of use as new development. As a result, the commission must approve a hardship waiver before the project can advance. No public hearing has been scheduled, and the commission has not issued a decision.

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