FAA Decision a Setback to Lockheed Preservationists

In a setback to a handful of activists trying to preserve the remaining Lockheed buildings in Burbank for their historic value, the Federal Aviation Administration has reaffirmed its ruling that the buildings should be demolished.

The huge, beige industrial buildings, which surround Burbank Airport, are in the process of being torn down to make way for a new, larger airport terminal.

Tim Pile, an FAA spokesman in Seattle, said the determination was made after state historic preservation officials reviewed the case.

“We thought it was prudent for the state to give us a second opinion, if you will,” Pile said. “They have done that, and essentially they said they agreed with our decision” that the remaining buildings are not historically significant.

The FAA’s decision is a blow, perhaps a fatal one, to efforts to make a historic monument to the Cold War out of the buildings, which once housed the manufacturing operations associated with Lockheed’s secret aircraft program known as the Skunk Works.

Burbank resident R. C. “Chappy” Czapiewski, a proponent of preservation, expressed frustration with the ruling and vowed to keep fighting, though he said he is uncertain what possibilities remain for stalling the demolition.