Title
Sullenberger Aviation Museum Support
Action
Action:
A. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to negotiate and execute agreements with the Sullenberger Aviation Museum, formally known as the Carolinas Aviation Museum, to support the re-opening of the museum in amounts not to exceed $2,000,000 in total from the city’s Tourism Fund.
B. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $2,000,000 from the Tourism Fund for support for the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Tracy Dodson, City Manager’s Office
Teresa Smith, Finance
Background
§ The Carolinas Aviation Museum (CAM) has operated at Charlotte Douglas International Airport for more than 30 years.
§ The museum’s Lift Off Capital Campaign is working to raise $31.0 million to support the redesign of a new state-of-the-art facility to house the new Sullenberger Aviation Museum (SAM), formerly the CAM.
§ The SAM is named after Captain C. B. “Sully” Sullenberger who landed US Airways Flight 1549, en route to Charlotte, safely in New York’s Hudson River.
§ Public commitments to the SAM include:
- $10.0 million from the State of North Carolina
- $5.0 million from the Airport Cannon Fund
- $3.0 million from Mecklenburg County
§ Upon completion, the SAM plans to serve more than 100,000 visitors annually and connect more than 15,000 students to STEM programming and career development labs.
§ Workforce development efforts include:
- Aligning with HIRE Charlotte to provide pathways to employment in transportation through aviation and aerospace opportunities
- Accelerating aviation and STEM workforce pipeline by providing direct programming and serving as a convener for aviation workforce partners
- Supporting local high schools through work-based learning and career readiness programs using hands-on job experience
- Convening area aviation partners to align efforts and grow aviation workforce pipeline
§ The SAM is expected to open in late 2023.
City Council Discussion
§ At the April 3, 2023 Jobs and Economic Develop (J&ED) Council Committee meeting the committee received a presentation and discussed this funding request.
§ The committee voted unanimously to support moving the request forward for consideration by Council action.
§ City Council was briefed on the request from the J&ED chair at the April 3, 2023 Council Committee Discussions meeting.
Fiscal Note
Funding: Tourism Fund
Attachments
Attachment(s)
Budget Ordinance