The land at the old City Centre Airport is up for redevelopment, but the Alberta Aviation Museum isn’t going anywhere. The city has granted the museum a 25-year lease on the hangar that currently houses the collection.
“Since the closure of City Centre Airport, many people have been asking us about our future,” says Alberta Aviation Museum past-president Rod MacLeod. “This lease will make it clear the City wants us to continue using the hangar to keep Edmonton's aviation history alive.”
The new agreement provides for an initial 10-year term, with an option to renew for another 10 years and another five after that.
According to the museum, the lack of a long-term lease has prevented them from raising funds.
“People are excited about our future once again. We want to make sure we continue telling the story of the airfield which was in existence for almost 90 years and is the namesake to the new neighbourhood now springing up around us.”
The museum says they have begun work on two new restoration projects, including a Second World War P-39 Bell Aircobra, which passed through Blatchford during it’s heyday on route to Alaska, and eventually Russia.
