With a huge sigh of relief, WarbirdsNews can report that the Yankee Air Museum appears to have been successful in acquiring part of the Willow Run Bomber plant for their new home. Museum officials stated yesterday that they are currently drafting a purchase agreement, and are confident that all parties will sign the document within the next week or so. While they still have some way to go in fully funding both the purchase and the renovations required to render the buildings operable, they have gathered enough cash (roughly US$6million) in both pledges and in-kind donations to move forward. The deadline for reaching this target was Thursday, May 1st, so it is a minor miracle that the YAM has managed to scrape through just in time.
The museum originally estimated that the full acquisition cost, including repairs would be roughly US$8million, but it’s quite possible this number will increase due to the unpredictable nature of any project on this massive scale. Therefore the Yankee Air Museum must continue the “Save the Bomber Plant” campaign for some years to come to ensure their security.
Regardless, it is great to hear that this important site will be preserved, at least in part, as a living, historical artifact. The Yankee Air Museum is to be heartily congratulated in their efforts, but we urge our readers to be vigilant in keeping up on their progress, and contributing where we can. Please click HERE to do your bit.
Click HERE to read our previous articles about the Willow Run Bomber plant.
