Space constraints The Pacific Aerospace Museum will close its doors in October rather than move to a smaller location within Honolulu Airport, a museum official said.
force museum to
move from airport
The Pacific Aerospace Museum
proposes moving to Ford IslandBy B.J. Reyes
breyes@starbulletin.comAirport renovations that began in May would move the museum about 300 feet to a location with about 2,000 square feet, roughly one-third the museum's current space, said Don Parent, the museum's executive director. Additionally, he said, the museum no longer will be granted special permission to operate its gift shop.
"The bottom line is that given the constraints we're forced to operate under, we can't do it," Parent said. "We can't make it under those circumstances."
He said the museum's deadline to close is Oct. 15, and the space must be completely vacated by Oct. 31.
"Right now, we're staying open, and we're trying to sell off our gift shop inventory," Parent said. "If we sell off our inventory before Oct. 15, I'll go to my board of directors and say, 'Hey, let's close down.'"
The renovations are part of the Department of Transportation's plans to expand the retail sales potential of the available airport space.
Changes are being made in accordance with a study completed about a year ago that showed how the airport could better use its retail space and increase revenue, DOT spokes-woman Marilyn Kali said.
"They have been offered other space for their exhibit," she said. "It's up to them whether they choose to accept it."
Kali added that the museum's lease always has prohibited sales of merchandise.
Though Parent said he received special permission to open the gift shop when he took over operations of the museum six years ago, he said he will not fight the DOT's effort to enforce the provision.
Once the airport location closes, the exhibits, which include a flight simulator, a collection of patches from space shuttle missions, a replica of the shuttle cockpit and other memorabilia, will be put into storage while the museum's board of directors tries to secure a new location.
One possibility is opening up the museum on Ford Island, Parent said.
Organizers of the Military Aviation Museum of the Pacific Association, a nonprofit foundation, have proposed a visitor attraction built around two hangars and the control tower on the southeastern end of Ford Island. The Navy, which has plans to develop Ford Island, has not yet determined the landmarks' fates.
Parent said there has been some discussion on possibly opening the aerospace museum as a separate entity affiliated with the aviation museum.
"We don't want to see it die," Parent said of the aerospace museum. "The way we see it, we're going into hibernation for a couple of years."