Hangar 27 at Magnuson Park is one of the relics of the ex-Naval Air Station, an old, drafty building with a *lot* of floor space. It once was a hangar for seaplanes. Now it’s a public space, available for community groups to rent.

Seattle Parks & Recreation says that Hangar 27 is crumbling and underused and will probably have to be closed entirely within two to three years for safety reasons.

Their solution: lease it to a private company. Arena Sports wants to rebuild Hangar 27 as a “multi-use indoor recreation facility,” including indoor soccer, basketball, baseball, and a gym. They’ve worked out an agreement with the city where the city will use tax money for the redevelopment, to be repaid by Arena Sports through lease payments and concession fees. Needless to say, Arena Sports expects to make a long term profit on the deal.

Of course, the Arena Sports project would kill any chance of the space being used for community events. That’s upsetting a number of people, not the least the violent and highly entertaining Rat City Rollergirls, the flat-track roller derby league. The league uses Hangar 27 for most of their events. They want the space to remain public, even if it means the building might crumble around them.

At least one of the Rollergirls, probably more, are planning to show up in full regalia for Monday’s City Council meeting to ask them to leave Hangar 27 as a public space. Watching City Council members face off against athletic women in death’s head makeup = political entertainment at its finest. If you want to watch the fireworks or show support, here’s the meeting info:

Monday, October 30, 2006

5:30 pm, City Hall, City Council Chambers, Floor 2

600 Fourth Avenue

Seattle, WA

Got an opinion? Write or call the City Council:

City Council

PO Box 34025

Seattle , WA 98124-4025

(206) 684-8888