Title
Pikes Peak - America's Mountain Summit Complex Project Update
Body
From:
Karen Palus, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
Jack Glavan, Pikes Peak - America's Mountain Manager
Summary:
Pikes Peak - America's Mountain (PPAM) is one of the most visited mountains in the world and a top tourist attraction for the State of Colorado. Annually, more than 600,000 people reach the summit via the Pikes Peak Highway, the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway (Railway) or by utilizing one of the hiking trails including Barr Trail. Pikes Peak is an American icon with tremendous history; it is a National Historic Landmark (NHL) and has deep meaning to numerous people.
The new Summit Visitor Center should provide a quality visitor experience that demonstrates the significance of and a sensitivity of Pikes Peak - America's Mountain. The design should be mindful of the attraction that it serves, social need and reflective of the setting. The completion of this project should restore the summit to its natural settings and preserve the visitor experience.
The current summit house was built in the 1960's and there are three additional support facilities on the summit of Pikes Peak including a utility building (Plant) to support the summit house, a communications building operated by the Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) and a building operated by the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM). All buildings have exceeded their useful life and need to be replaced.
The USFS approved the project in 2014 and the stakeholders have worked together to begin the Environmental Assessment process and the Design process. In 2015, the City of Colorado Springs solicited and awarded a contract to EDM International to facilitate the environmental process and awarded a contract to RTA Architects for the design of the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex facilities.
Previous Council Action:
N/A
Background:
Pikes Pe...
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