New plans for Hangar One?

The New Year may bring a new plan for the use of Hangar One, the old dirigible hangar at Moffett Airfield in the San Francisco Bay Area. In February the Navy, which maintains jurisdiction over the 1930s-era hangar, is expected to release an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis for each proposal under consideration. In 2002, the hangar, built to house the airship U.S.S. Macon, was found to contain toxic levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Proposals include covering the building with photocells and using it to collect solar energy, removing the hazardous materials, then reskinning the hangar or tearing down the building altogether. That idea prompted the creation of the Save Hangar One Committee, which is mounting a campaign to protect the building because of its historical significance.