Members of the Port of Pasco and supporters of preserving the Naval Air Station control tower stand outside the historic facility Thursday at the airport in Pasco. Repairs to the roof were finished last spring. The Pacific Northwest Aviation Museum and Historical Association and the port are in the midst of lease negotiations for the tower space. Bob Brawdy — Tri-City Herald The World War II-era air traffic control tower in Pasco has seen better days.
 
Rain water has stained the wood floor, causing it to sag slightly when walked on. Spiderwebs decorate corners and debris litters some of the floor. A ceiling tile hangs precariously overhead.
 
But the water has stopped running down a wall inside the tower since Port of Pasco commissioners agreed to fix the siding and roof.
 
Commissioners are considering what’s needed next so they can rent out space in the historic Pasco Naval Air Station tower. They toured the building Thursday with members of a new nonprofit that’s trying to preserve the historic structure.
 
The roof and siding repairs were finished in spring 2012, said Malin Bergstrom, president of Pasco’s Bergstrom Aircraft, who is spearheading the effort to preserve the tower that her family’s business used for about 30 years.
 
The Pacific Northwest Aviation Museum and Historical Association and the port are in the midst of lease negotiations for the tower space. And Bergstrom said a lease is needed before more donations will come in.
 
The association, known as the Save the Old Tower group, wants to raise $70,000 or more to renovate the tower.
 
Group pushes to save Pasco Naval Air Station tower