Updated

A groundbreaking has been held for a hotel complex at the historic TWA terminal at New York's Kennedy Airport.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that the landmark will be preserved and enhanced as a centerpiece of the development. It's expected to open in 2018. A museum will showcase "the birthplace of the jet age."

BREATHTAKING PHOTOS REVEAL PRESERVED INTERIOR OF HISTORIC TWA TERMINAL

The once-glamorous terminal was designed by modernist Eero Saarinen (EHR'-oh SAHR'-uh-nehn), whose works include the St. Louis Gateway Arch.

It was completed in 1962 and hailed as an icon of modern design. Parts of the terminal were threatened with demolition in 2003.

Cuomo noted that Kennedy, which serves more than 56 million passengers annually, is one of the few airports in the nation without an on-airport hotel.