Glenview Naval Air Station Museum Feasible: Report

GLENVIEW, IL — The Glenview Park District is preparing a development agreement with a local foundation to construct an expanded Naval Air Station Glenview museum, Pioneer Press reported. The Park district's partner in the proposal is the Glenview Hanger One Foundation, the group that pushed for the preservation of the landmarked control tower at the center of The Glen and currently operates a small museum at 2040 Lehigh Avenue.

Originally dedicated as Naval Reserve Air Base Chicago in 1937, Naval Air Station Glenview trained generations of pilots. In 1943, it was the Navy's largest flight training unit – housing nearly 3,500 men and graduating 1,000 cadets every three months, according to a caption from a collection of Chicago Tribune historical photos. The site was eventually vacated by the Coast Guard in 1996 and transferred to the village of Glenview in 1997. The Glen now houses more than 5,000 people and includes the 171-acre Gallery Park, the proposed location of the new museum.

The park district's superintendent for leisure services told Pioneer Press a study determined the museum is feasible and has public support. It suggested the district arrange for a development agreement with the foundation. The study found if the museum was built in four years, when the the park district is set to own Gallery Park, it would cost about $13.4 million to build, according to Glenview Announcements.

Along with the Hanger One Foundation, the group Bring It Home, Glenview has worked to develop the proposed new naval air station museum and learning center. Last year, the foundation provided the $40,000 cost of the feasibility study from the firm Holabird & Root and originally planned to raise about $5 million to pay for the cost of the land and building before turning over the ownership and operation of the site to the park district, Pioneer Press reported. At the time, park district's executive director said the foundation would have provide an endowment sufficient for 10 years of operations.

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