The bill that would have allowed Colorado Springs to substitute a museum for the downtown stadium in its state Regional Tourism Act funding package is dead.
A few months ago, we reported that the proposed downtown stadium in the Springs was no longer being built. In its place, the city proposed an air museum if they could amend the Regional Tourism Act. The work-around was prompted by finding that showed the downtown stadium to not be viable without a significant infusion of local taxpayer money. Mayor John Suthers announced a second site for the World War II air museum at the Colorado Springs Airport, though there was no public process involved in choosing the project – just as there was no public input for the original four projects included in the tourism venture dubbed City for Champions. That package includes the U.S. Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame, which is set to break ground this spring; a visitors center at the Air Force Academy, which is reportedly issuing a request for proposals soon; and a sports medicine facility at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, which has already gathered some funding. All four projects would be aided by state sales tax money collected above a base year established in 2013 over a tourism zone that includes most of the city. The city's allotment was $120.5 million before the stadium was canceled. The proposed state Senate bill, carried at the request of the city, was reportedly postponed indefinitely by the Appropriations Committee. In other words, the bill is dead, so is the stadium, and now so is the air museum.
It's unclear after the failed amendment to the Regional Tourism Act how much the city's allowance will be reduced, or whether part of the money the city already received – totaling $4.9 million – needs to be refunded. Suthers told City Council in a Tuesday lunch meeting that unless something unexpected and miraculous happens, the city will have to drop the idea of a fourth venue.
Which of the remaining three projects are you most excited for? Are you sad to see the stadium and potential air museum go? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
