Aviation history venue had planned to move by 2020

THE EAST LAKE LOCATION? WELL, SHERRY, SINCE WE REPORTED ON THAT PLAN, MOVE OUT OF OVER SIX YEARS AGO, THE SOUTHERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT HAS BASICALLY RECAP CRATED ITS PRIORITIES. THEY INCLUDE OFFERING SOME VERY SPECIALIZED AVIATION TECH TRAINING HERE FIRST BEFORE CREATING THAT SECOND CAMPUS OUT AT BIRMINGHAM’S HOME FOR INDY RACING. LATER, WE’VE SIMPLY RUN OUT OF SPACE. IN 2017, BRIAN BARBOUR COUNTY SHARED BIG PLANS FOR BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT. AT THE TIME, THEY WANTED TO OPEN A ROOMIER LOCATION HERE NEAR THE BARBOUR MOTORSPORTS PARK. BY 2020. SIX YEARS LATER, THOUGH, THAT LAND LOOKS LIKE THIS. SO WHAT HAPPENED? THE AIRCRAFT AROUND US HERE, WE PAID BARBOUR COUNTY, ANOTHER VISIT SINCE THE LAST TIME WE STOPPED BY, HE SAYS THEY’VE DECIDED TO REINVENT IT IN THE EAST LAKE LOCATION, TRANSFORMING THIS CLUTTERED STORAGE HANGAR. I TOURED IN 2017. YOU KNOW, TURNING THIS INTO THIS INTO A STATE OF THE ART TRAINING SPACE FOR FUTURE AVIATION TECHNICIANS. SO FAR, THEY’VE ALREADY SPENT A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH LAUNCHES IN AUGUST. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A MARKETABLE SKILL, A MARKETABLE CREDENTIAL THAT’S GOING TO MAKE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE MARKETABLE, MEMBERS OF THE WORKFORCE. BARZANI SAYS THERE WAS STRONG POLITICAL AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR USING THE HISTORY HUB NEXT TO THE AIRPORT TO HELP FILL A NEED IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY. IT ALLOWS US TO STAY HERE IN THE NORTHEAST LAKE COMMUNITY, REINVEST IN THIS COMMUNITY AND IT KEEPS US LOGISTICS CLOSE TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS WHO ARE LITERALLY THREE BLOCKS DOWN THE ROAD TO MY LEFT. BUT PLANS FOR A SECOND CAMPUS ARE STILL ALIVE. THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SPENT $3.7 MILLION ON THIS LAND FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE. AND THESE RENDERINGS OFFER US A GLIMPSE OF WHAT’S TO COME. SO INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT IT IN THE SENSE OF A RELOCATION FROM POINT A TO POINT B, IT’S MORE OF AN EXPANSION PROJECT WITH THESE TWO SOON TO BE BEAUTIFUL CAMPUSES ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF TOWN. BAR SANTA COULD NOT OFFER A PRICE TAG ON THE SECOND CAMPUS OR TELL US WHEN IT WILL OPEN, BUT PLEDGES BARBER RACE FANS SHOULD EXPECT AERONAUTICAL SPEED EXHIBITS TO MOVE EAST IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THEY MAY SEE LITTLE SPRINKLES OF THE MUSEUM FLAVOR OUT THERE, PERHAPS AIRCRAFT ON DISPLAY, PERHAPS OTHER ARTIFACTS. YOU KNOW, NEXT TO BARBOUR PARKWAY. AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE PARK, GIVING FANS OF SPEED SOME WINGED REINFORCEMENT RIGHT NOW, MCCARTHY SAID THEY SHOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION SOMETIME NEXT YEAR TO GIVE US MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT POTENTIAL SECOND CAMPUS OUT AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK. BUT UNTIL THEN, THEY WANT TO FOCUS ON CREATING AVIATION CAREERS, RIGHT HERE LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM