PLATTSBURGH, NY — Over the years, the 166,000-sq-ft main hangar at Plattsburgh Air Force Base here sheltered strategic bombers for the U.S. Air Force, as well as B-47s, B-52s, and KC 135s. When the base was closed in 1995, the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation was created to manage the reuse of the 5,000-acre base and its facilities.
One of the first goals was to transform the main hangar, originally constructed in 1955, into a hangar fit for the 21st century. The renovation was a success and produced a new tenant: Pratt and Whitney Engine Services. One of the key improvements implemented at the facility was the installation of a CertainTeed (Valley Forge, PA) insulation system, which boosted the R-value of the building from R-7 to R-21.