CLEVELAND — When you fly in and out of Cleveland Hopkins, it’s hard to miss the NASA logo plastered on top of the company’s iconic hangar. Now, that hangar is up for grabs — specifically, available to be leased.
News 5 has shown you the iconic building, which was previously used for research, ground communication, and NASA missions.
“This facility has been used to basically allow propulsion to be advanced, and also other areas of aircraft,” said Director of Facilities Test and Center Operations at NASA Glenn Research Center, Bryan K Smith.
But now, that historic hangar built in 1941 is a prime piece of real estate — open for leasing.
“We have other enhanced use leases. It's called opportunities, and we are looking to drive that innovation. We're looking to drive partnerships innovation,” said Smith.
Here’s how it’ll work: The new tenant will sign a National Historic Preservation Act agreement. That means they’ll be allowed to change the interior — but the exterior and any other historic landmarks must remain unchanged.
The lease will last either 10 years or two 5-year terms, covering 6.7 acres of land — including the aircraft hangar, tarmac, parking lot, and a small neighboring office building.
The cost to rent it is still unclear.
“So it depends on the offer. We haven't set a price. We're not in it that same way of basically for profit, so to speak. We just have to get the best value for the government,” said Smith.
NASA said it’s specifically targeting aerospace-related tenants.
“So, being aerospace development, we feel that the proximity to NASA offers some synergies. So the tenant we're looking for is obviously someone who can take advantage of this space... someone who's interested in the aerospace industry,” said Smith.
NASA emphasized that this lease plan has been in the works for a while and is not tied to any budget cuts. They also say they’ll be putting several more properties on the market — including in Sandusky.
“This is enhancing our work. I hope people realize that this is actually this is a good thing. This is bringing more people in to share with the assets that we have,” said Smith.
NASA has already received a few inquiries. They’re accepting proposals until the end of November, and sometime in the next year, they could announce who their new partner will be.
For more information, click here.
