Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen plans to move his Flying Heritage Collection from the Arlington airport to Paine Field, his spokesman confirmed Monday.
Arlington officials had hoped to keep the rare collection of a few dozen mostly flyable old war planes in the city.
However, Flying Heritage executives decided to move the collection in order to drum up attendance. They chose Paine Field largely because it offers a more spacious facility that’s closer to urban areas, said spokesman Jason Hunke.
They also hope to take advantage of tourists visiting Boeing’s Future of Flight museum, which is also located on Paine Field, south of Everett.
The Snohomish County Council is scheduled to consider Wednesday a 10-year lease for the planes to be housed at Paine Field. If approved, the council will direct County Executive Aaron Reardon to sign the paperwork.
The county owns and operates the airport at Paine Field.
The proposed lease would require the Flying Heritage Collection to pay $370,000 in rent each year and complete a total of $7.6 million in improvements to the 51,000-square-foot building the planes would occupy. If the improvements are made, the lease cost could be trimmed by $2.2 million.
Hunke said the deal should be final in a week or two, with the aircraft collection opening at Paine Field within a year.
“We always knew that as the collection grew and as we focused more on what the visitor experience would be that a possible change of location would be in the mix,” he said. “It evolved over the years as we learned more. … We knew Arlington would be one of several potential locations and the Everett location was the right one.”
The exhibit opened in Arlington on a temporary basis in 2004. The collection does not have regular hours, but visitors paying $20 apiece can schedule tours on Fridays and Saturdays.
Though the collection rarely advertises, around 3,000 people from all over the world visit each year, Hunke said. Arlington officials had hoped the collection would permanently settle in the city, attracting more publicity and tourists. Arlington’s mayor and other city officials had attempted to persuade Vulcan, the company that operates the collection, to keep it in the city, said Arlington Airport Manager Rob Putnam
“We hate to see them leave,” he said Monday, after learning about the planned move to Paine Field. “We were hoping they’d be permanent. I think once they get the facilities up and running, it’s going to be a regional draw for tourism.”
The Flying Heritage Collection looked at airports up and down the coast before settling on Paine Field, Airport Director Dave Waggoner said. He said the collection will fit in nicely with its existing tenants, including Boeing.
“We’re excited about the new tenant,” he said. “They obviously bring a wonderful new attraction to the airport and we’re delighted that they chose to stay in Snohomish County. I think it will draw local, national and even international visitors and that’s good for Snohomish County tourism.”
For County Councilman John Koster, an Arlington resident, the deal is bittersweet.
“I am a bit sad to see it leave the Arlington area because it was such a nice addition to the Arlington Airport,” he said. “It is an absolutely fabulous collection – one of the best kept secrets, unfortunately, at the airport. …
“I just hope more people take the opportunity to go see that collection. They have some fantastic airplanes.”
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com.
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