(COLUMBUS, OHIO – August 11, 2022) The non-profit Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame and Learning Center (OAS) has received a $275,000 grant from the City of Columbus toward the renovation of the historic original Port Columbus terminal into its new home and for aviation-themed youth education programming designed to enhance workforce development in the aerospace and technology sectors.
The original terminal and tower, a 13,000 square-foot Art Deco style structure on the corner of East Fifth Avenue and Hamilton Road, was built in 1929. It served as the terminal and control tower for Port Columbus, now John Glenn International Airport, until 1958, when a modern terminal took over operations on the other side of the airport property.
The terminal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. After being leased from the airport and converted to business offices in 1984, it sat vacant after the last tenants moved out in the early 1990’s. Seeking to preserve the terminal, a local group raised funds to stabilize the building and install a new roof in 2016. In 2018, the OAS secured a State of Ohio grant of $550,000 toward renovation costs and signed a long-term lease on the property with the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.
