Matrix and Blue & Silver Development Partners were selected by the United States Air Force to develop a comprehensive master plan for the 58-acre True North Commons Visitor Center site at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The vision for the new development is to embrace and reflect the overall history and character of the Air Force Academy campus while providing an architecturally iconic visitor center experience. As a State-selected City for Champions project, the master plan includes a mix of complementary, non-residential uses, such as commercial, hotel, office, and retail/restaurant, integrated with the new Visitor Center in design and function.

Matrix coordinated annexation of the development parcel into the City of Colorado Springs and worked with multiple government agencies, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the Environmental Protection Agency, to conduct an environmental assessment of the property.

Matrix structural engineers designed a $2-million-dollar pedestrian bridge that frames a new, multi-lane roundabout at the development entrance and connects the hotel and visitors center. We have also completed a master development drainage study that analyzes the site’s existing and future drainage patterns to facilitate mitigation of any impacts to downstream infrastructure. Off-site utility engineering included the design of a 12-inch, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) watermain, an 8-inch HDPE watermain, and a 6-inch HDPE force main requiring multiple directional bores across Interstate 25 and Smith Creek to provide service to the site. Our team coordinated extensively with the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Springs Utilities to complete the work efficiently and in compliance with all regulations and standards.