The city of Colorado Springs has been working towards financial funding for a multilevel project called the "City for Champions." The plans will encompass four projects located in downtown Colorado Springs, The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), and the Air Force Academy. The hope is that, once completed, these projects will enhance the city's economy by attracting more businesses to Colorado Springs while also improving it's image for potential tourism. Now that partial funding has been approved by the state, the projects are one step closer to getting started.
The downtown projects include an Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame, and a multipurpose Sports and Events Center. The center will be designed to hold various events, and there is speculation that the Colorado Rockies' minor league team, the Sky Sox, will vacate their current location on the east side of town and move to the downtown location. Many cities in other parts of the country that have built downtown stadiums have seen positive economic results. Once the projects are completed, downtown businesses should see a big boost in activity.
Other projects involved in the City for Champions includes plans for expansion at UCCS and the Air Force Academy. UCCS is looking to build a new Sports Medicine Complex and Performance Center. The Sports Center will cater to senior health care, post-traumatic stress disorders, and brain injuries, as well as sports-related medicine. At the Air Force Academy there will be a new Visitors Center adjacent to the current stadium which will include a restaurant, an athletic hall of fame, a theater, and a gift shop. State funding has already been approved for this project.
Projects such as these have made positive impacts on the economies of other cities and Colorado Springs officials are anticipating similar results. With the Air Force Academy Visitors Center, the new Events Center and the Olympic Hall of Fame, Colorado Springs should expect an increase in the amount of tourism. The Sports and Medical Center at UCCS will help bring more sports-related and medical business to the area, all of which will improve the economy in the long term. The City of Champions project a great opportunity to impact the local economy and improve tourism for Colorado Springs and surrounding areas.