Google signs 60-year lease of Navy dirigible Hangar, plans to restore Hangar One
Tech giant Google has signed a deal to lease NASA's Moffett Airfield for the next 60 years after beginning negotiations for the land back in February.
The Internet company will pay $1.16 billion in rent to the federal government for access to the 350,000 square foot structure, called Hangar One, according to the Associated Press.
Hangar One is part of Moffett Airfield, a former US Navy air base in the San Francisco Bay Area that's also the home of NASA's Ames Research Centre. The property comes with about 1,000 acres of Moffett Field, which includes three hangars, an airfield flight operations building, two runways, and a private golf course.
NASA estimates the deal will save it $6.3 million in maintenance and operations and bring in $1.16 billion in rent over the 60-year lease.
"We look forward to rolling up our sleeves to restore the remarkable landmark Hangar One, which for years has been considered one of the most endangered historic sites in the United States," David Radcliffe, Google's vice president of real estate and workplace services, said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, Google subsidiary Planetary Ventures LLC will pump $200 million into property improvements, including the renovation of Hangar One, Hangar Two and Hangar Three.
Google will also create an educational facility "where the public can explore the site's legacy and the role of technology in the history of Silicon Valley," the announcement said.
"This is great news," said Lenny Siegel, a longtime community activist who has fought to save Hangar One, which was built in 1931 to house naval airships and was closed in 2003 after tests revealed toxic chemicals were leaching from its roof, according to the Mercury News. The hangar's chemical-laden skin has since been removed. "We finally have assurance that Hangar One will be re-skinned, Moffett Field's facilities will be put to scientific use and there will be a community-oriented educational center."
