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Letter: Science Center searches for alternative site

Science Center searches for alternative site

On behalf of the board and staff of the Aspen Science Center, I write to express our thanks to the many friends, supporters, educators, parents and children who supported our recent effort to convince the Aspen City Council to lease to the science center the Old Power House. We are especially grateful to Charles Cunniffe and Will Young of Charles Cunniffee Architects for the inspired work they did on our proposal.

We regret that we were unable to convey to the council the financial viability of a first-class science center in the Roaring Fork Valley. We think this valley deserves a facility at least as good as the one in Durango (population 16,887), where the Discovery Museum operates on a $1 million budget, a robust mix of contributions, gifts, grants, education-program fees, admissions and memberships (only 4 percent from government grants).



Our plan is to bring to the Roaring Fork Valley a unique and excellent facility for experiential learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to benefit a broad range of our residents, including preschool and school-age children, adults and seniors.

We will continue to pursue the Aspen Science Center mission: To advance the public understanding of science through lifelong discovery, exploration and education. Our vision continues to be that the Aspen Science Center will be a premier institution for the public understanding of science, providing scientific learning and experiences for all ages and that we will establish a world-class facility in the Roaring Fork Valley. Should the brew-pub concept not come to fruition, we are prepared to continue Old Power House discussions with the city.




We have been approached by representatives from Basalt and Snowmass and will explore these alternatives but we remain hopeful that we can find a site in Aspen as ideal as the Old Power House.

Mike Simmons

Chairman, Aspen Science Center