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Campaign will help aging Tower go green

Donations to save Thunderbird’s historic air traffic control tower will also turn the landmark green.

Organizers behind an initiative to convert Thunderbird Tower into a social hub for students say their plans include sustainable building practices that will help the aging building qualify for certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The green building rating system awards points for design innovations such as natural lighting and water-saving techniques.

Mick Dalrymple ’98 will help with the greening process. Dalrymple is the co-founder of a.k.a. Green, a supplier of eco-friendly building materials.

“I see this as the perfect union between Thunderbird’s long historical traditions and its future as a leader in sustainable international business,” Dalrymple says.

But first, Thunderbird donors must come up with the money.

Students and alumni have launched a $2 million campaign to renovate the Tower that has sat empty since 2006. The vision is for the building to function once again as the heart of Thunderbird.

So far, campaign organizers have raised about $25,000 beyond an initial $100,000 pledge from Thunderbird Trustee Merle A. Hinrichs ’65.

That pledge, which came in early February, has allowed Thunderbird to commission design plans and start on improvements that will include a new roof, skylights, new trusses and new windows.

“I am pleased to support both the rebuilding and refurbishment of the Tower,” says Hinrichs, founder of Global Sources in Hong Kong.

The renovated tower will include the ThunderShop, pub, new student union and a veterans and alumni gallery dedicated to the 2 million pilots who trained at Thunderbird and the students who came after them. If all goes according to plan, the new facility could open as early as May 2009.

For that to happen, the Glendale City Council would need to review the building modifications by August so construction could begin in September. So far, Thunderbird does not have capital funding to support the entire restoration.

Campaign organizers Andrew Burman ’09, Rebecca Mitchell ’08 and Will Count ’09 have teamed with project advisers Bill Johnson ’60 and Lisa MacCollum to raise money fast.
One way is by selling square-foot tiles on the Tower Web site at thunderbird.edu/tower.

For $500 per square foot, individuals and corporations can buy tiles in the game hall, pub and veterans and alumni center. For $300 per square foot, people can buy tiles in the student union. And for $100 per square foot, people buy tiles in the ThunderShop.

Donors can also purchase tiles in the alumni town hall and observatory on the second floor and in the kitchen on the first floor. Pricing for those areas is not yet determined.

The organizers have also presented an alumni chapter challenge to chapters around the world. The group wants to raise $5,000 to $10,000 from each chapter and create an Alumni Pub Patio. The Phoenix chapter was first to donate $5,000 and is planning a fundraising gala in the fall.

“With 38,000 alumni, corporate constituents, and a lot of partners around the world, I think there will be ample care for this project,” says Chris Lee, associate vice president of finance and accounting.

Tower over the decades

The School first used Thunderbird Tower in the 1940s for administration and faculty offices. By the late 1950s, the Tower had been expanded in use and housed the intensive language learning center. Many students sat through the sweltering summer heat learning language.

In 1960, alumni donations made it possible to add an extension to the rear of the building. The Tower continued to house administration and faculty offices until June 15, 1992, when it was remodeled to become the new student center. Included in the new student center was a student lounge and offices for Thunderbird Student Government.

On Feb. 1, 1993, the Tower café opened and operated until 2006, when the building was closed after cracks were found in some of the wooden support beams.

More online
Watch a student video on the Thunderbird Tower renovation project on YouTube (search using keywords “Thunderbird Tower”). To purchase a tile or provide financial support, visit the Tower Restoration Web page or contact John McDonald-O’Lear.

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