Save Hangar One Committee

Please join us in support of the "Re-Skin Hangar One" proposal. Subscribe to our email list or RSS feed to be informed of developments and learn how you can participate.

Our next Call to Action will likely be this winter, when the Navy makes its recommendation to preserve or demolish the hangar. Subscribe now, and we'll call on you to attend the public hearing, probably in January, send a written comment to the Navy, and get in touch with your representatives in Washington.

Re-covering Moffett Field's Hangar One with fabric is an historically sensitive, cost-effective, legally compliant way to restore the Hangar and prepare it for future use. We ask the Navy to use fabric as a way to restore Hangar One after removing the existing siding, which contains hazardous substances.

In 2003, NASA estimated it would cost $27.5 million dollars to re-skin the hangar in steel. Fabric would be less expensive than steel: After the toxic siding is removed and the frame cleaned, we estimate it will cost around $12 million to apply the fabric skin.

Around 1,500 people have signed on to support our proposal that the Navy re-skin Hangar One with a durable, attractive teflon-covered fiberglass fabric similar to that used for Mountain View's Shoreline Ampitheater and the Denver International Airport terminal.

The fabric has a 60-year lifespan, with existing installations still going strong after up to 37 years in service.

In May, 2006, the Navy proposed demolishing Hangar One completely. The Navy says the hangar's siding is shedding toxic chemicals into the stormwater, which drains to the bay.

We argue that by removing the siding and keeping the steel skeleton, then recovering the hangar with fabric, the Navy will meet both obligations: To clean up the hangar and to return it to the community for re-use under the Base Realignment and Closure process.

And the cost is modest, not much more than demolition, which would destroy this historic regional landmark, a unique public asset.