In times of confusion, it's best to consult an expert. And nowhere is that more evident than in the story unfolding with Wings Over the Rockies and its neighbor, Hangar 2.

Where's Solomon when you need him?

On one hand, there's the issue of preserving a building that speaks to the history of Lowry, a building of interest to the entire community because it reflects a key period of Denver's growth and development in the years before and after World War II. Hangar 2 is part of a historic district at Lowry, which means it is protected unless the owner can claim economic hardship and get approval for a specific project, and its design, on that site.

On the other hand, the people who run Wings Over the Rockies - housed in Hangar 1 - say that they need to sell Hangar 2 to continue to make some $7 million in repairs and continue planning a second facility at Centennial Airport. Condo towers would go on the site. Besides, says president and CEO Greg Anderson, Hangar 1 would represent the history on its own just as well as if it were sitting next to another hangar.

The issue now is in the hands of a community task force, which convened last month and will continue discussions Wednesday at Wings.

Anderson's hope? "I think the community task force will lead to a new design."

Hmm, that would be great, if this were an empty piece of land. The first design, by the Buchanan Yonushewski Group, offers two towers with a hint of aviation architecture about them but basically a presence in line with many of the, well, forgettable residential projects the firm has created all over Denver.

The firm was chosen by developer IRG, Anderson said, with an eye toward principal Brad Buchanan's service years ago on the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission. That, though, makes him a preservation architect about as much as my three years of violin lessons make me a candidate for a job with the symphony.

But as it stands now, there appears to be little hope the Wings team will frame the issue as looking at a way to find what is called an adaptive reuse for the hangar. After all, during the first meeting of the task force, the architect, not the facilitator hired for the process, led the questions of members, asking what they wanted to see on the site - not whether the hangar should stay there. Solomon might call this a foregone conclusion.

In February, Wings officials and developer IRG were on schedule to ask the commission for the OK to tear down Hangar 2 and build two towers with more than 300 units. The developer was chosen through an "RFI" process - request for information - that originally involved 16 firms. Eventually, it came down to one, the one that sees demolition as the only answer. IRG specializes in large-scale projects to reclaim industrial and military sites, not tiny boutique projects such as Hangar 2.

Then, at the last minute, Wings and IRG withdrew the application, saying they needed to start a community process to see what those who live and work at Lowry want to see where Hangar 2 is now.

Many people who live in Lowry headed for the telephone, worried about height, traffic, and, yes, losing Hangar 2.

What task force members have learned is that Wings already has made major repairs to Hangar 1, with the more than $1 million it received from Lowry from the sale of land nearby for a development with a Tuscan theme. Wings' roof is fixed, and the messy, perhaps dangerous, drop ceiling is torn out. Anderson said this week the work has tripled the space for exhibitions.

But, the museum is pleading poverty. It is eligible to try for Tier II status in the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, which Anderson says would probably bring it about $100,000 per year, more than twice what it received last year as a Tier III organization. But that is not enough to make improvements it wants.

Two positions are firming up here.

"Our concern is that members of the task force are starting from the position of what would be acceptable uses on that site if the hangar is gone," said Steve Turner of Historic Denver Inc. "Historic Denver's position is, 'What are the acceptable reuses possible for the historic hangar?' We think we bring a broader city perspective, while the task force brings a neighborhood perspective."

Of Historic Denver's perspective, Anderson says, "We appreciate that. We hope we can work out something where there is a respect for history."

But to Wings, economics are economics, and there is already one hangar there, which will fall into further disrepair if its neighbor is kept and also deteriorates. "Yes, we're proposing to demolish a contributing building," Anderson said. "But with two exactly similar structures, we're not proposing to take away a historic structure without leaving a historic structure."

Lowry has been much more interested in preserving parts of its history than has Stapleton, but that doesn't mean there are buildings to spare when you are trying to tell a story of the history of flight, of a neighborhood and of a city.

There has to be a way for Hangar 2 to survive and ensure the continued success of Wings.

The issue at a glance

• Wings Over the Rockies, which has occupied Hangar 1 at Lowry since 1995, wants to sell its mate, Hangar 2, above. Wings wants the money to continue repairs and refinements of the museum. It has found a developer that wants to scrape Hangar 2 and an architect that has designed residential towers for the site.

• Both hangars are part of a historic district - the Lowry Technical Training District, one of two designated at the former Air Force base, which closed in the early 1990s and was turned into a giant mixed-use development.

• This is a new approach on Wings' part. In January 2006, Wings, which got both hangars free from Lowry, approached the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission with a plan to redevelop Hangar 2, renovate Hangar 1 and add a residential tower and a new museum entry. That plan fell apart.

• At the request of Wings and its developer, the application to demolish Hangar 2 and replace it with condos was withdrawn from the landmark commission before it could consider it Feb. 6.

• A community task force to consider Hangar 2's fate, convened by the owner and developer at the urging of Denver City Councilwoman Marcia Johnson, had its first meeting March 6 and will meet again:

• When: 6 p.m. Wednesday

• Where: Wings Over the Rockies, 7711 E. Academy Blvd.

Still at the gate

• What: Hangar 61, 8695 Montview Blvd.

• What it is: A thin-shell concrete hangar built in 1959 for the corporate aircraft of Ideal Basic Cement Co. It is empty and surrounded by new construction at the Stapleton redevelopment. Its fate was on the line as development began to expand along Montview Boulevard.

• Why it's important: Its sleek lines recall the style and technology of mid-20th century aviation, and its design heritage is first-class (architects Fisher and Fisher and Davis, with noted engineer Milo Ketchum). Plus, it's one of the few remaining pieces of the old Stapleton International to add context to the new Stapleton mixed-use development.

• Who owns it: The city and county of Denver, which is selling it to Forest City/Stapleton, which will in turn resell the hangar.

• Who wants to buy it: Colorado Preservation Inc.

• The price tag: Colorado Preservation Inc. is buying Hangar 61 for the reduced price of $195,000 (down from $230,000), which is covered by a $200,000 grant from the State Historical Fund; also in hand is another $200,000 grant for much-needed stabilization. CPI must provide matches for the grants.

• Landmark status: On hold, but because of logistics, not opposition. Hangar 61 was to go before the Denver City Council for a landmark designation hearing in February, but the issue has been continued until sometime in August while the parties involved work out the ownership transition. That includes a new contract to regrade roads after the closing.

Chandlerm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2677.

Back to Top