C-17 Plant--Play It Again, In Long Beach

It is now known that the joint Long Beach-Huntington Beach proposal to Amazon for its second Headquarters offered up the former Boeing C-17 plant as one of three possible sites. Exactly how the city would have done this is unknown, e.g., an outright purchase from Boeing or maybe some kind of lease involving a developer. What is known is that the mayor wants to attract jobs and an aviation museum does not have a lot of paid employees. On the other hand, the American Alliance of Museums cites a study that tourists who visit museums spend 60 %  more than the average leisure tourist, e.g., on food and lodging, which translates into tax revenue for the city. And, a museum is a great way to motivate and inspire young people. Despite this, the city is not interested in studying the feasibility of a new air and space museum on the property, nor asking Boeing to sponsor a study. Long Beach may be promoting other ideas, though, e.g., a movie studio was considered for the former Boeing 717 property when it was sold a few years back. And, there are already a number of studios in the city.

Long Beach--Developers In The Driver's Seat

With the success of Douglas Park, the former 717 production facility and other property that has been transformed into new office buildings, warehouses, and other commercial space, developers now have their sights on the former C-17 production site on the West side of the airport. Changing the current direction is a long shot, but using part of the property for a new museum is still something to consider. Read more in my letter published July 1st, in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, in the Opinion section. The web site is: http://www.presstelegram.com/opinion/20170701/why-long-beach-is-right-place-for-an-aviation-museum-to-land-guest-commentary