COLORADO SPRINGS – Plans to build a new visitor center at the Air Force Academy are moving forward.
Last week the Academy achieved its private funding milestones allowing the construction to start in the spring.
It will be built outside the Academy’s north gate on 57 acres of air force property.
The mixed-use development will offer more than 190,000 square feet of retail and office space along with a 32,000-square-foot visitor center and 375-room hotel and conference center. It is the last of the four City for Champions projects designed to add economic vitality and boost tourism in the Pikes Peak region.
“The Air Force Academy has long been a celebrated part of our city’s identity, and the Visitor Center will provide a fantastic opportunity to share it with residents and visitors alike,” said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers. “It’s difficult to imagine a more catalytic and impactful project with a more transformational effect on our City than the whole of the City for Champions initiative. I am grateful to the public and private partners and community members alike who put their hearts and souls into the City for Champions initiative to make it a reality.”
Plans for the new Visitor Center include modern, interactive, and informative displays and experiences. The grand atrium may include presentations representing Air Force and Space Force missions. Hands-on experiences may feature glider controls attached to a craft suspended from the ceiling and a speed challenge test to allow visitors to experience running at the local altitude. Other exhibits will feature Air Force Academy history and athletics. The new Visitor Center will also be designated a Colorado Welcome Center.
The Denver-based CoralTree Hospitality will manage the hotel. Food and beverage amenities will include a full-service three-meal restaurant, a bar, and a café. Other amenities include a business center, an outdoor pool and sun deck, a full-service spa, and a gift shop. In the spirit of its location, the hotel will offer the only in-hotel flight simulator in the United States. Two flight simulators will provide guests with a real-life pilot experience. The simulators will reproduce the flight deck of the 737 NG with seats, throttles, switches, pedals, and yoke from original parts of the real aircraft (other parts of the flight deck are scale reproductions). In addition, the experience will include a 220-degree wraparound screen with HD imagery to make the experience as life-like as possible.
“This project will reimagine how we welcome visitors not only to our campus but to the entire region,” said Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy. “For some of the most promising young people our nation has to offer, the journey toward leading the Air Force and Space Force begins right here in Colorado Springs. The new visitor center will tell the story of our Academy and its critical mission, and we are grateful for the supportive partnerships turning a bold vision into reality.”
Construction is set to begin this spring, with both the hotel and Visitor Center expected to open in 2024.
