Process for selecting permanent home of U.S. Space Command changes; effect on Colorado Springs uncertain
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- More communities have become candidates to be the permanent home of U.S. Space Command, a local official involved in the process said Wednesday.
But El Paso County Commissioner chairman Mark Waller said it's unclear whether opening the process up to more applicants will help or hurt Colorado Springs' chances of getting the coveted command long-term.
"I was in Washington a few weeks ago and I was told that the Pentagon and the White House want more communities involved," he said. "We're already the temporary home for Space Command and I think the consensus still is that we should be the permanent home, as well. But it's going to be more of a political decision now."
Waller said the change in the selection process doesn't mean Colorado Springs and other initial candidates have to start over completely.
"It just means more communities are in the running, and the process will include site visits -- which wasn't the case before," he said. "There are more than 60 communities competing for Space Command. Once the list gets narrowed down to a few, then we'll essentially start over."
The original plan called for a final decision on a permanent location for Space Command to be made in January but Waller considers that timetable to be unrealistic.
"They want to start doing site visits next month," he said. "Plus, we have the election coming up and that could change things even further, depending on who wins. They want to whittle the number of (Space Command) candidates down to six or seven. I'm told once that happens, all bets are off."
Waller said that Alabama, Florida and California are potentially the strongest competitors for Colorado Springs in the selection process because they have military bases with space-related missions.
"It's also possible that we could get some, if not all, of Space Command permanently," he said. "There's the headquarters segment, the mission segment and the training segment. It just makes more sense to keep all of it here because we already have the land, the infrastructure and the security for it."
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said he's not surprised that the selection process has turned political.
"As a result of pressure -- I think, political pressure -- from other senators and things like that, they decided to go with a broader process," he said. "I think the merits we have to warrant having Space Command will outweigh any political factors."
Suthers and Waller disagree on whether the Pentagon and White House can meet their somewhat ambitious schedule.
"Making a final decision by January seems unrealistic," Waller said.
"I still think we'll know for sure in January," Suthers said.
