The office of Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., issued the following news release:
In light of recent reports that the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) may consider moving their headquarters from Colorado Springs, where they have been located for the last thirty years, United States Senator Ken Salazar today sent a letter to USOC Commissioner Peter Ueberroth to urge the Committee to maintain its headquarters in Colorado Springs.
'Colorado Springs is good for the Olympic Committee headquarters and the Olympic Committee headquarters is good for Colorado Springs,' said Senator Salazar. 'For one, the Olympic Committee has been a huge economic driver to the Springs for the last three decades and it would leave a huge deficit if they moved to another city. And, Colorado Springs has an attractive economy that can easily anchor the various sporting associations revolving around the USOC's headquarters. For these reasons and many more, I will do all that I can to ensure that Colorado Springs will remain the best home for the USOC's headquarters for decades to come.'
In the almost 30 years that the USOC has been at the 34 acre site on the former Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs has proven to be an ideal location for the organization's headquarters for several reasons. Colorado Springs is home to 45 national governing bodies for various sports and is a center of gravity for national sporting organizations. The costs of living and of maintaining the USOC's headquarters in Colorado Springs are low, compared with major metropolitan areas. The collocation of the headquarters and the United States Olympic Training Center allows USOC leadership to stay close to the needs and activities of the athletes they are working to support.
The United States Olympic Committee and other sports organizations in Colorado Springs create an industry that brings in over 4,800 jobs and $316 million annually into the local economy.Contact: Stephanie Valencia, 202/228-3630; Cody Wertz, 303/350-0032.
Stephanie Valencia, 202/228-3630; Cody Wertz, 303/350-0032.
