Lawrence Council Votes 7-1 to Purchase $975,000 Airport Hangar for Vocational School

LAWRENCE — January 6, 2026 — Lawrence City Council authorizes $975,000 airport hangar purchase on behalf of Greater Lawrence Technical School. The council voted 7-1 at a special January 6 meeting to allow the city to buy a hangar at Lawrence Municipal Airport and hold it temporarily while the school — which cannot purchase property directly from a private seller under its charter — arranges the final acquisition. Superintendent John LaVoy said the 5,000-square-foot hangar, listed at $975,000 by seller Bob Davis, is valued by Falcon Air at up to $1.2 million and offers bathrooms, heating, air conditioning, and classroom space that the school's existing hangar lacks. The school's existing hangar, by contrast, would need $400,000 to $450,000 in upgrades — including a roughly $300,000 sewer line — just to meet FAA classroom requirements. The school is required to repurchase the hangar from the city within five months for $975,000 plus any holding costs; the deal is contingent on an independent appraisal coming in at or above $975,000 and a formal vote by the Lawrence Municipal Airport Commission, scheduled for January 15. Councilor LaPlante cast the lone dissenting vote, citing the absence of written documentation and incomplete due diligence.