Flatbush Avenue. In 1930, work started on the administration building. The administration building was erected on the west side of the field, near Flatbush Avenue, and four hangars each were constructed to the north and south of the building. The architect of the hangars and administration building is not documented, but Tony P. Wrenn, a preservation consultant, surmises that Edward C. Remson designed these structures. In 1929, builders awarded contracts for hydraulic filling operations, a wooden perimeter fence, soil placement and seeding, and runway widening. These contracts were substantially complete by 1930. Opening The airport dedication occurred on June 26, 1930. A crowd of 25,000 attended this aerial demonstration led by Charles Lindbergh and Jimmy Doolittle. A flotilla of 600 US Army Air Corps aircraft circled the field as part of the airport dedication. Admiral Byrd, Mayor Walker and his wife, and Cora Bennett were present at the event. However, the airport was not finished at that time. The administration building and parking areas had yet to be completed. The costs of the proposed airport were increasing even as its completion was being delayed. A few days after the dedication, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that the airport would not be complete until 1932 and would cost $4.5 million. Floyd Bennett Field was formally dedicated again on May 23, 1931, upon its official completion. At the time, the Administration Building was almost finished, and the United States Navy was to occupy part of the airfield. The dedication was attended by 25,000 people, including Chamberlain; Byrd; Captain John H. Towers, who flew the first transatlantic flight; F. Trubee Davison, the assistant United States Secretary of the Army for Aviation; and Colonel Charles Lindbergh, who flew the first solo transatlantic flight. Many of the attendees were also there to view the largest aircraft demonstration to date in the United States' history: that day, 597 aircraft flew over the metropolitan area. The New York Times stated that if the aircraft demonstration had not been visible around the city, Bennett Field's dedication might have attracted more spectators. Commercial use From May 23, 1931, through the end of the year, the airport recorded 1,153 commercial aircraft and 605 military craft, which made a combined 25,000 landings. According to the 1932 Annual Report from the Department of Docks, Floyd Bennett Field had become "the most desirable American Field as an ocean hop terminal": at least four