CITY FOR CHAMPIONS
On July 8, 2013, the City of Colorado Springs began its pursuit of supplemental funding with the Regional Tourism Act of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.  The Regional Tourism Act promotes diversification of the state's economic base by providing a financing mechanism for attracting, constructing and operating large-scale regional tourism projects, which include tourism or entertainment facilities that will attract significant investment and revenue from outside the state.  In December 2013, the Colorado Economic Development Commission approved $120.5 million in Regional Tourism Act incentives (state sales tax rebates) over 30 years to Colorado Springs for a group of four tourism projects known as the City for Champions:

  • Air Force Academy Visitor Center
  • Sports and Event Center
  • UCCS Sports Medicine Center
  • Unites States Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame
 
Economic impact of the four City for Champions projects are forecasted to:

  • Boost the region’s $1.35 billion annual tourism industry

  • Attract about 1.2 million visitors each year

  • Add more than 500,000 new out-of-state visitors annually

  • Increase retail sales by $140 million each year

  • Increase gross metropolitan product by $217 million annually

  • Add $4.4 million in new sales tax revenue for the city annually

  • Add $2 million in new sales tax revenue for the county annually

  • Leverage a $120.5 million state tourism improvement rebate

  • Allow 23 local TEAM USA National Governing Bodies to host Pre-Olympic and World Championship events here
 
City for Champions will brand Colorado Springs as Olympic City USA, and invite national/international sports performance and medicine entities to the city to compete in events and do business.