Wisconsin Aircraft Hangar Owner Offers 12,000 Sq Ft Hangar for Free at Milwaukee Airport with a Catch
A Wisconsin aircraft hangar owner has put forth an unusual offer that underscores the challenges faced by general aviation infrastructure. He is offering a free 12,000-square-foot hangar at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. However, the offer comes with a substantial catch.
Ryan Luetzow of Waukesha has listed the 100-foot by 120-foot hangar on Facebook Marketplace. The hangar, constructed in the 1970s by his grandfather, a World War II fighter pilot, has not been in regular business use for over a decade. The catch is that the new tenant must assume a one-year land lease from the airport costing $36,000 annually—a significant increase from the previous $6,000 under 10-year lease terms.
The drastic lease changes are part of Milwaukee Mitchell Airport’s broader redevelopment plans. The aim is to modernize infrastructure and attract more general and business aviation. Airport officials have shortened lease terms in the northeast quadrant from five years with extensions down to just 12 months. This is to provide flexibility for planned infrastructure rebuilding. The airport is not renewing leases on outdated buildings slated for removal as it seeks to develop a modern hangar complex capable of supporting larger private jets.
Since posting the listing in November, Luetzow has received numerous inquiries. However, most were from people hoping to use the space for non-aviation purposes like boat storage or machine shops—requests the airport won’t approve. “It is a hangar that holds airplanes that fly,” Luetzow told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, emphasizing the aviation-only requirement.
Source: Avweb