A historic museum in Edmonton is facing an uncertain future now that city council has set a timeline with the intent to sell Hangar 14.
The Alberta Aviation Museum is found in Hangar 14 at the former City Centre Airport. The museum leases the facility from the city.
A city administration report indicated that a minimum of $41 million worth of repairs would be required within five years to keep the aging building from experiencing “critical asset failures.”
On Monday, councillors voted 11-1 for administration to develop a disposition strategy that “maintains the public museum use within Hanger 14, including but not limited to partnering with other orders of government and private partners.”
That means whoever buys the building from the city would inherit the museum as part of the deal. But after two years there will be no restrictions on its sale.
Museum curator Ryan Lee said he thought the City of Edmonton wanted to invest in the Second World War building, not sell it.
“They’ve been sending teams of engineers over the last several years to do engineering reports on the building, which told us that they were serious about investing in the building and keeping us here long-term,” he said.
“We just found out very recently that wasn’t the case, and we’re kind of in a pickle.”
On Monday, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he would like to see the museum lead next steps or eventually become owners through another avenue.
Lee said to raise the required capital to save the non-profit would be almost impossible. He said this short timeline has created uncertainty for the museum.
“We need to find somebody to invest in the building or we need to raise $30 million to build a new building in two years,” he explained.
During Monday’s council meeting, city administration said it would offer support from a “technical perspective” but not fundraising.
Global News asked the City of Edmonton, as the building’s landlord, what led to such a high cost for renovations.
“Every city asset has a natural lifecycle, beyond which regular maintenance is either impossible or not fiscally viable. When an asset begins to fail, it’s no longer a maintenance issue,” read a statement. “An asset at the end of its life needs to be replaced, which is where rehabilitation comes in.
“Hangar 14 is in need of substantial rehabilitation, hence the cost noted in the report.”
Council will begin to seek potential partners and possible new spaces for the museum.
Lee said the museum will do what it can to stay in the building as it fights to save a piece of Edmonton’s aviation history.
“If we can’t find a solution for a home for this museum, we’re going to lose pretty much all the history in the aviation museum,” Lee said.
The group is now seeking to meet with the city and key community stakeholders to discuss and determine next steps that will “hopefully find a solution to save the museum.”