Aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island require a facility better suited to meet their maintenance and repair needs.

The Navy is proposing to construct a new, 92,000-square-foot aircraft maintenance hangar near the Ault Field flight line, according to an environmental assessment draft released this month. Construction would take about two years, beginning in 2027. Base Public Affairs Officer Mike Welding said it is projected to cost about $200 million.

Once completed, the hangar could service eight EA-18G Growlers at once, with a total annual throughput of approximately 32 aircraft.

Currently, the Growlers are serviced in a six-bay aircraft hangar. It supports several other squadrons as well, thus creating a “lack of certainty on the quantity of assigned space” which “constrains the ability to keep aircraft in a constant state of operational readiness,” according to the draft.

“Fulfilling this need reflects the continued, long-term importance the Navy has placed on NAS Whidbey Island as part of the Naval Aviation Enterprise,” Welding added.

Along with the hangar, the proposed build includes plans to construct a taxiway to the flight line and a parking lot. The hangar would be located on a federally owned property triangulated by Randolph Street to the north, Charles Porter Avenue to the south and Kitty Hawk Road to the east, adjacent to several other hangars.

The draft can be viewed in full at pacific.navfac.navy.mil/NWNEPA/, and hard copies are available at the Oak Harbor Library.

Those wanting to share their thoughts on the matter have until Jan. 11 to do so. Comments can be emailed to navfac-nw-NEPA@us.navy.mil, or by mailing comments to Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Northwest.