Connolly Brothers completes 40,000-square-foot design-build hangar for FlightLevel Aviation at Beverly Regional Airport
Why It MattersLarge-wingspan hangar space at busy general aviation airports is built through long permitting and zoning cycles, and FBOs like FlightLevel market that scarce capacity to private aircraft owners.
What happened
Connolly Brothers Inc., a construction management firm, has completed a new 40,000-square-foot design-build aircraft hangar for FlightLevel Aviation, a private fixed base operator (FBO) at the west entrance of Beverly Regional Airport (BVY) in Danvers, Massachusetts.
The project was ground-up construction of a pre-engineered building designed to accommodate two private aircraft with wingspans up to 104 feet. The hangar has infrared heating, high-bay lighting, restroom facilities, storage areas and dedicated electrical rooms. The work also included extensive sitework and a comprehensive mechanical scope.
Connolly Brothers served as both Architect of Record and Construction Manager, and D&D Electrical Contractors, Inc. was also part of the project team. The firm worked through a complex, lengthy permitting and zoning process and coordinated closely with project stakeholders so that construction did not disrupt daily airport activity and operations.
Connolly Brothers President & CEO Jay Connolly said the coordination and logistical demands of the project were significant. FlightLevel Aviation CEO Peter Eichleay said the company delivered the hangar on time and exceeded expectations, and that FlightLevel looks forward to working with Connolly Brothers again on its next project. FlightLevel Aviation is marketing the hangar space at Beverly Regional Airport and can be reached at (978) 774-2070.
Industry impact & what to watch
Hangar construction at an active general aviation field is as much a permitting and logistics exercise as a building one. BVY is one of the busiest municipal general aviation airports in Massachusetts, and the lengthy zoning process and the need to keep daily operations running were central parts of this job, not side issues.
For an FBO, new hangar capacity is a product it sells. A 40,000-square-foot building sized for two aircraft with wingspans up to 104 feet points to large private aircraft, where each tenant takes up a substantial share of the floor. The economics of that space depend on a small number of long-term tenants rather than many small ones.
The next concrete step is FlightLevel's marketing of the space at Beverly Regional, and FlightLevel's own comment about a next project with Connolly Brothers suggests further development at its facilities may follow.
