Hartford Business Journal

10 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 New England Air Museum President and CEO Stephanie Abrams (left) and Vice President of Development Richard Cleary inside the museum's Windsor Locks facility. HBJ PHOTO | HANNA SNYDER GAMBINI Taking Flight New England Air Museum's ambitious $25M expansion plan aims to spur economic development, bolster aerospace industry History of flight The new hangar will help the museum tell the complete history of flight, from its inception, which is ballooning, to other major milestones, Abrams said. The hangar will also include space for hands-on manufac- turing exposure and a kiosk that lists available jobs in the industry. A planetarium or digital and immersive dome will take visitors "to the far reaches of the universe through the technology of the James Webb Telescope, or you can go inside and literally explore a human cell," Abrams said. "There's nothing like it in the state, and we feel it will drive workforce development, economic development and tourism," she said. Richard Cleary, the museum's vice president of development, said education is a major focus for facility and program growth. The museum currently hosts more than 5,000 area students in its STEM educational programs each year. The expansion will help accommodate the goal of serving up to 30,000 students, both on and off the museum campus, Cleary said. Aside from expanding the Windsor Locks site, other plans are in the works for the development of a new Challenger Center, a concept that was created by the relatives of the astronauts who died in the 1986 Challenger disaster. The center would offer a space mission simulation with By Hanna Snyder Gambini hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com T he New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks is planning an ambitious expansion that includes building a new multipurpose hangar, increasing enrollment in its educational programs, partnering with local industry and higher educa- tional organizations and further high- lighting the aerospace, engineering and manufacturing career fields. The New England Air Museum dates back nearly 65 years, when it was originally founded as the Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association in 1960. Later, it was dubbed the Bradley Air Museum for the state's flagship airport, before relocating to its current site and being renamed again in the 1980s as the New England Air Museum. It's now the largest aviation and aero- space museum in New England, with more than 100 authentic and restored aircraft, ranging from early flying machinery to a B-52 Bomber and super- sonic jets. It showcases warplanes and helicopters from World War II and Vietnam, and a new F-15 fighter jet that is still in active U.S. military service. Over the past three years, the museum's visitor count increased 20%, to 75,000 visitors annually. The museum has more than 90,000 square feet of space, three exhibit hangars, daily programs and activi- ties, as well as restoration hangars and digital displays. But large aircraft take up a lot of space, and museum President and CEO Stephanie Abrams said the facility is "completely out of room." A new $25 million expansion will not only create additional display areas, but more educa- tional space and opportunities for community engagement and industry partnerships. The state Bond Commission has already approved $15 million for the project, although the money has not yet been distributed. When it becomes available, it will cover the construction of the new hangar, which is scheduled to break ground in 2025 and open in 2026, Abrams said. The remaining $10 million will cover the cost of new digital classrooms and other educational initiatives involved in the museum's strategic growth plan. Those funds will come from individual donations, corporations, grants and other fundraising efforts, Abrams said. Offering naming rights for the new hangar, a planetarium and other new spaces is also an option for raising funds, she said. AT A GLANCE New England Air Museum Industry: Nonprofit museum Top Executive: Stephanie Abrams, President & CEO HQ: 36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks 2023 Revenue: $2.55 million Website: neam.org Contact: 860-623-3305

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