The reign of Pete McGowan is history. The Peter J. McGowan Concourse at Islip-MacArthur Airport soon will be history, too, airport commissioner Al Werner said yesterday.
The $52-million wing, built by Southwest Airlines and opened in 2004, will be renamed Veterans Memorial Concourse at the Islip town board meeting Tuesday, Werner said.
The name change has been rumored since March 9, when McGowan resigned as Islip supervisor and pleaded guilty to misappropriating his $1.2-million campaign fund. Local activists have lobbied for the change since Southwest named the building, a controversial move made without knowledge of the town board.
The move to rename the concourse - and the fact Werner already has had some of the McGowan markings removed from its interior - came as news to acting Town Supervisor Jeanette Messina.
"I am surprised that I wasn't informed," Messina said. "I think he should have made everyone aware that this is what was happening."
Werner has the authority to remove the signage under town code, according to town attorney Pierce Fox Cohalan.
In the wake of the McGowan scandal, Southwest said it would leave the decision whether to rename the building at the town-owned airport to town officials.
Newsday
The $52-million wing, built by Southwest Airlines and opened in 2004, will be renamed Veterans Memorial Concourse at the Islip town board meeting Tuesday, Werner said.
The name change has been rumored since March 9, when McGowan resigned as Islip supervisor and pleaded guilty to misappropriating his $1.2-million campaign fund. Local activists have lobbied for the change since Southwest named the building, a controversial move made without knowledge of the town board.
The move to rename the concourse - and the fact Werner already has had some of the McGowan markings removed from its interior - came as news to acting Town Supervisor Jeanette Messina.
"I am surprised that I wasn't informed," Messina said. "I think he should have made everyone aware that this is what was happening."
Werner has the authority to remove the signage under town code, according to town attorney Pierce Fox Cohalan.
In the wake of the McGowan scandal, Southwest said it would leave the decision whether to rename the building at the town-owned airport to town officials.
Newsday
