AURORA | The Colorado Freedom Memorial is one step closer to its goal of building a visitor center with a $1.5 million grant from the federal government.
The funding is one of 15 Community Project Funding grants approved through the office of Rep. Jason Crow (D-Centennial) as part of the 2023 appropriations bill. Each member of the House of Representatives was eligible to submit 15 requests.
Crow visited the Colorado Freedom Memorial Friday afternoon to deliver the grant to its board of directors.
The Colorado Freedom Memorial was constructed in Aurora near Buckley Space Force Base in 2013 and honors the more than 6,000 Coloradans who died or were declared missing in action in the nation’s wars. The memorial hosts remembrance ceremonies, tours, field trips and other events, including an annual candlelit memorial over Veteran’s Day.
Rick Crandall, executive director of the Colorado Freedom Memorial Foundation, said that a center will allow the foundation to increase the programming it provides and will serve as an indoor gathering place for tours.
In the decade it’s been open it hasn’t had an indoor space to take visitors, meaning they’ve had to “cross your fingers and hope the weather is going to be OK,” as Crandall put it.
The 7,000-square-foot Colorado Freedom Memorial Center will be located on the south end of the park, opposite from the memorial. The building will include a 150-seat theater, a classroom and an outdoor reception area.
Crandall said the foundation plans to use the center to hold programming for students, host veteran’s group and military events and host other presentations. History Colorado and Buckley have both expressed interest in the center, and he hopes the latter will be able to use the center to strengthen its ties to the wider community.
The center is being designed by Kristoffer Kenton, who designed the original memorial.
“It’s exciting to have him back working with us because he had an amazing vision for the Colorado Freedom Memorial and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the visitor center,” Crandall said.
The Aurora City Council unanimously approved a proposal for the center last month, and he said there’s been a lot of local support for the project.
“Everybody seems to be excited that this is an opportunity that’s good for the city,” he said.
An optimist by nature, Crandall said he hopes that the center will be dedicated by the end of next year, but may not be ready until Memorial Day 2025.
In total, Crandall said the building is expected to cost $4 million. The money from the appropriation bill will be used to cover the costs of the cost of the site preparation and planning documents.
In a statement, Crow, a former Army Ranger, praised the foundation for the work it does honoring service members.
“I appreciate Rick Crandall and all of the people and organizations here in Aurora who shared the vision for the Colorado Freedom Memorial Center,” Crow said. “I’m proud to help deliver the funding to make it a reality. This Center will be dedicated to preserving the history of our fallen heroes and teaching our families and kids of their sacrifice.”
Politicians are the grossest. This is a memorial of those who died in war – and hundreds of people have worked on it, even several other politicians, but instead of having to share a single speck of spotlight with any of those heroes or organizers, Jason Crow spends our tax dollars on a fake giant check with his name to campaign off it. Gross. This is a great project for Aurora and for those memorialized, not a campaign rally for Jason Crow. What a smarmy move.