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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 20, 1997

Evergreen submits museum plans

By SCOTT BALLO
Of the News-Register

After years of speculation and planning, Evergreen International Aviation Inc. has submitted plans to the city for the air museum that will house the Spruce Goose.

The plans were submitted to the city as part of the annexation request necessary for Evergreen to build the Michael King Smith Evergreen Aviation Educational Center on 30 acres just across Highway 18 from the company's headquarters.

Evergreen must get voter approval for the annexation of 21.3 acres to build the museum. Evergreen officials don't expect any problems in getting the support of local residents.

"This is an education center, not residential development," said Carey Landers, Evergreen vice president for the museum. "We've done a great deal of work on the design and are pleased that we will not have to cut down any of the trees on the site."

The huge hangar-like center would feature large glass windows showcasing the main floor of the museum that would house the Spruce Goose. Architectural drawings also show several aircraft of differing historic eras surrounding the world's largest aircraft.

A long drive off Highway 18 leads to a large parking lot surrounded by trees.

The $20 million project would create the largest building in the area, a 165,000-square-foot structure that would tower above anything in the area with a rooftop 125 feet above the ground.

"Nothing compares," said Doug Montgomery, McMinnville planning director.

In comparison, the tallest buildings in the area are the hospital and the Old Oregon Hotel, both of which are only four stories tall. The new museum would be approximately 10 to 12 stories tall, according to Montgomery.

The land proposed for the facility is currently part of Evergreen Agricultural Enterprises Inc. and what is not annexed in the area would remain in agricultural use, Landers said.

"We are not taking any more property than needed," he said.

Evergreen has raised about $10 million, about half of what it needs for the project and enough to begin it.

By building the ambitious project in phases, Landers said that the additional time will give them the flexibility to raise the money needed to complete construction. Although everything hinges on voter approval, Landers said the timeline for the project starts with a June 1 groundbreaking and hopefully having the doors open by Labor Day 1999.

The facility, called an educational center, would include working classrooms, teaching facilities and additional meeting space according to Evergreen officials. These facilities would be used in conjunction with Airframe and Power Plant Mechanic programs in surrounding Oregon colleges and even with elementary and secondary school programs.

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