Tax refunds, 2,000 acres of land, and a new golf course offered to Air Force to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- In late December, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers sent a letter to the Air Force outlining what the City would offer to keep U.S. Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base.
"They didn't use the word incentives but they said you know we would be interested in what community commitments that would be made for the future support," Suthers says.
In total, the City committed to a package valued at $129.4 million. Including more than 2,000 acres of land at Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases for expansions and upgrades. Sweetening the deal for those projects, the City and County threw in sales and usage tax refunds for military construction.
Colorado Springs Utilities pitched in offering to invest $25 million for an on-site generator. Suthers says, "We'll give discounted rates would be worth over the first ten years an estimated 28.5 million dollars for the Air Force."
Other offers came from the private sector included funding for the expansion of the Peterson Child Development Center, an astronautical engineering degree program at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, which Suthers says will still happen. The cherry on top, a new golf course.
"That would be a public golf course and available for access to the military at discounted rates," Suthers says.
Specifics on what Huntsville, Alabama offered have not been released to the public. However, the Air Force says Redstone Arsenal has offered a facility to support the headquarters at no cost while the permanent facility is being built. Which Peterson also has.
Suthers says he and other leaders are building their case to the Biden Administration to keep U.S. Space Command in the Springs. On Wednesday in a surprise decision, the Air Force announced the command will be moving to Alabama.
