The first concrete pour for the future site of the $35 million Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport took place Friday morning at 11551 Aerospace Avenue, Houston.
D. Harvey Construction poured the first major concrete slab that will ultimately become the Robert L. Waltrip Hangar. The 33,500 square foot area will be filled with more than 200,000 gallons of concrete and take approximately nine hours to pour and complete.
The hangar will be named after the Museum’s Chairman Emeritus, whose historic aircraft collection first created the Museum.
The hangar will be the museum’s principal aircraft display area.
Ellington Airport is the future home of the Houston Spaceport and one of Texas’s oldest continuously operating airfields.
“Harvey Builders is honored and privileged to be involved with a group of patriots dedicated to the preservation of the rich history of aviation and the enrichment of young minds through hands on educational programs focused on the science, technology, engineering and math concepts that make flight possible,” said Joe Cleary, President of D.E. Harvey Builders.
Over its 59-year history, D.E. Harvey Builders counts many leading national and local cultural and educational institutions, as well as aviation industry leaders among its clients. In addition to the Lone Star Flight Museum, Harvey’s portfolio includes projects for the Smithsonian Institution, Continental Airlines, NASA, and the Austin Music Hall, among others.
“We are delighted to have a company like DE Harvey add its experience and expertise to our team,” said Scott Rozzell, Chairman of the Lone Star Board of Directors. “Together we are building a museum that will inspire and educate our community’s youth while celebrating and preserving Texas’ rich aviation heritage.”
Harvey joins Webb Architects, exhibit designers D¦G Studios, and project manager The Sarrazin Group, in a talented team that will be working with the staff, volunteers and supporters of the Lone Star Flight Museum to deliver a state-of-the-art facility that will include the nation’s second Aviation Learning Center.
Students and visitors to the museum will learn the STEM concepts essential to flight in a hands-on interactive environment. They can also embark on a journey from the origins of flight through the present day and learn how Texans shaped aviation and the how aviation shaped Texas. Construction for the project is scheduled for completion in early 2017.
