Image courtesy of Google Maps

The last remains of a former private corporate airport and military base could become a massive distribution center complex as Raytheon Technologies seeks to shed 300 acres of land in East Hartford.

The company has hired CBRE to market the property, to be known as “the Logistics Center @ Rentschler Field,” which sits next to its Prat & Whitney aircraft engine factory and office campus.

The land can accommodate up to 2.3 million square feet of space on 280 developable acres, with direct access to Interstates 84 and 91 and the Wilbur Cross Highway.

During World War Two, the site was a military airfield before it was returned to civilian control and used as a corporate airport for Pratt & Whitney and United Technologies Corp. executives until being decommissioned in 1999. After its closure, the northern ends of one runway was sold to the University of Connecticut to build its football stadium, Rentschler Field, and to northern end of the other ground-leased to outdoor retailer Cabela’s for a 185,000-square-foot store.

The 21-acre ground lease interest will be included in the sale, CBRE said. The site is being marketed without a formal asking price.

With the Hartford area becoming a magnet for e-commerce companies seeking a major Northeast distribution hub thanks to its close proximity and highway connections to New York City and Boston, CBRE representatives say the site is “perfectly positioned” for development as a large-format, industrial-logistics hub.

“We are excited about this opportunity and believe there will be significant interest from both developers and end users due to the site’s excellent central Connecticut location, immediate highway accessibility and access to a densely populated labor pool,” John McCormick and Chris Metcalfe of CBRE’s Hartford office said in a joint emailed statement. “The site’s unique history as a former airfield will add an additional layer of character and attractiveness to the site.”