Background · Capital plan

What the Hangar needs

Planning estimates for the repairs and improvements that would stabilize the Hangar and serve the public for decades. These are not bids; real numbers need a professional cost study.

Background page. For the full picture, see the Open Hangar homepage.

Capital improvements framework

Fix what's missing, keep what works

The Browning Hangar, understood to be City-owned, operates today without permanent infrastructure: no permanent restrooms, no modern lighting controls, and a roof and electrical system that keep aging without a defined maintenance plan.

This framework outlines capital improvements that would stabilize the structure, address deferred maintenance and improve the Hangar's long-term public use, while preserving the open, informal character that makes the space work. In August 2024 the City's Mueller Plan Implementation Advisory Commission (PIAC) asked City Council to consider public restrooms and lasting public access at the Hangar.

Why timely investment matters

Deferred maintenance compounds. Roofs, drainage and electrical systems don't stabilize on their own, and costs rise as repairs are postponed. A modest, well-planned investment now prevents larger bills and reactive repairs later. Once deterioration forces emergency work or closures, the informal public life that makes the Hangar unique becomes harder to keep.

Tier 1: Core stabilization

Tier 1Permanent accessible restroomsEstimated cost: $900,000 – $1.6M
  • Includes the sewer and utility connections the site lacks today, plus the building
  • Ends recurring portable-toilet costs
  • Better sanitation and dignity for daily users
  • Responds to PIAC's 2024 recommendation
Tier 1Roof replacement and structural repairsEstimated cost: $500,000 – $1.2M
  • Preserves the historic structure
  • Avoids a deferred-maintenance crisis
  • Protects the public investment

Spread over its life, a $900,000 roof lasting 20 years costs about $45,000 a year.

Tier 1Electrical and lightingEstimated cost: $350,000 – $700,000
  • Safer evenings
  • Longer usable hours without scheduling everything
  • Energy-efficient over the long term

Tier 2: Civic improvements

Tier 2Site drainage and surfacesEstimated cost: $300,000 – $800,000
Tier 2Public realmEstimated cost: $300,000 – $750,000
  • Accessible paths
  • Durable seating
  • Shade where appropriate
  • Wayfinding signs
  • Power for community events
Tier 2Flexible community infrastructureEstimated cost: $250,000 – $600,000
  • Built-in power
  • Movable staging
  • Storage for community use
  • Public lighting zones

Total investment range

GroupRange
Tier 1: restrooms, roof, electrical and lighting$1.75M–$3.5M
Tier 2: drainage, public realm, community infrastructure$0.85M–$2.15M
Totalabout $2.6M–$5.6M

These figures are normal long-term capital maintenance for a public building, not a special project. Every public building eventually needs a new roof, electrical upgrades and sanitation. The question is whether that work happens on a plan, or later, at higher cost and under worse conditions.

Preserving what already works

The aim is not to transform the Hangar but to protect what already works: its openness and flexibility, and its room for many different people and uses without formal programming. Infrastructure should support the people who use the space, not decide what they do there.

How these costs could be paid for →