Telstar Logistics is reporting that Hangar One, the giant airship hangar at Moffet Field in Mountain View that you can see from Highway 101, is in jeopardy of being torn down by the Navy. A group called Save Hangar One has been formed to try and save Hangar One by “re-skinning” it using a Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric.
The Navy built Hangar One to house the gigantic airship U.S.S. Macon in 1932 on land donated by Bay Area communities. It is a monument to innovation and service, an icon of the Peninsula, and one of the worldÂ’s largest free-standing structures. Unfortunately, some of the materials used in its construction are now known to be toxic.
To eliminate the environmental risk, the Navy proposes to demolish Hangar One for $12 million … but Navy studies also show that it would cost only $12 million more to replace the toxic materials instead. We believe it’s worth the extra $35 per square foot to preserve Hangar One for future generations.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think the Hangar One distillery should put up the cash to save it and rename it… Hanger One, of course. Turning it into a tasting room like the one in Alameda would be awesome!
Please look at this article published in the Mountain View Voice about the fabric alternative to save the Hangar presented by Linda Ellis (my spouse) a Mountain View Architect.
Article
http://www.mv-voice.com/story.php?story_id=2930
Presentation
http://www.nuqu.org/20070512/248/
This approach has been endorsed the by Save Hangar One Committee, the most active local organization trying to save the Hangar.
The costs for saving the hangar fall into 3 buckets.
1. Navy Remediation of Toxic Waste
• Removal of the skin containing the PCBs and Lead
-or-
• Continue removing the entire structure after the skin is removed
2. Returning the Hangar to reuse by Re-Skinning
• Fabric Skin & Installation $12 Million Estimate, with a 30 year warranty without maintenance.
• Building code upgrades to return building to Hangar reuse as Hangar (unknown but likely nominal).
3. Alternative use Hangar for other undetermined purposes
• This could include offices, museum, sports facility, etc and could require more dollars to meet other building code requirements beyond the historical and original design use of the building as Hangar.
The building footprint is 8.5 acres with a recovering estimate of $12 Million + dollars and would
1. Save one of the most important historical landmark in Silicon Valley
2. Be the most green approach since it returns 50% less to waste to the environment
3. Be the most economically sound solution since building an 8.5 acres structure for $12 million dollars in today’s dollars is impossible.