June 16, 2015

Renton aircraft hangar has an unusual installation

Photos courtesy of Ace Aviation [enlarge]

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Ace Aviation celebrated the opening of its new maintenance and operations building on Friday at Renton Municipal Airport.

The $5.3 million project involved construction of a 32,000-square-foot structure, including a 12,000-square-foot hangar floor and 18,000 square feet for support areas. Another 2,000 square feet will subleased by Aviation Training Center of Seattle.

The three-story office entryway houses a Boeing 737 nose section, which protrudes from the wall. Visitors can enter the cockpit and take the controls.

Snodgrass Freeman Associates and Castino Architecture were the architects. Powell Construction was the general contractor.

Construction started in May 2014.

The design, with its rows of grilled windows, is intended to recall early 20th-century manufacturing buildings, such as Boeing's historic Red Barn, built in 1909.

Ace says its new building will allow the company to expand its business to accommodate general aviation clients and service larger turboprop clients. Aircraft with wing spans up to 95 feet will be able to fit through the building's 100-by-28-foot rolling service doors.

The structure was built on the site of the company's old 16,000-square-foot hangar, which was demolished for the project. The site address is 289 E. Perimeter Road.

Financing for the project was from HomeStreet Bank and the Northwest Business Development Association.