The State Land Board recently celebrated the transfer of 640 acres at Schriever Space Force Base to the Department of Defense, ending a yearlong process. 

The Air Force requested a reassessment of the lease of the property that is now home to more than $1 billion in facilities. The military has leased the property since the 1980s before taking ownership through the transfer.  

“Given the critically important nature of the mission at Schriever Space Force Base, it’s imperative that the Department of Defense has full control over lands that house mission-critical military infrastructure,” said Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera in a news release. 

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The State Land Board started leasing the land to the military in 1982 for a one-time payment of $48,000, approximately $150,000 in today’s dollars, according to a State Land Board document. Since then, the Department of Defense has invested approximately $1.1 billion into facilities on the land, the document states.

“The mission has grown and evolved more than anyone could have envisioned some 40 years ago,” said Keith Klaehn, chairman of the Defense Mission Task Force and a board member of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce & EDC.

Under the previous lease, the State Land Board would have to take over the buildings on base and the potential liabilities if the military ever abandoned the base, according to Land Board documents. 

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After a four-year process, the state and the military decided the land transfer made sense for both parties after the Air Force requested it, Klaehn said. 

In a statement, a Space Base Delta 1 spokesperson said the state demonstrated its commitment to Space Force missions through the transfer.

“This land transfer is another example of how the State of Colorado is working to be the best home to our military members and key missions,” the statement said. 

Schriever, about 10 miles east of Colorado Springs, opened as an installation in 1985 and now employs 8,000 people.  

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