U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The 10th Civil Engineer Squadron welcomes comments and questions from the public regarding compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) regarding the planned demolition of the Armed Forces Bank building in the Community Center area at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Armed Forces Bank constructed the original building and maintains ownership. The building is no longer required and Armed Forces Bank has terminated its lease for the land. To terminate the lease, the bank is required to remove its property which will require demolition of the building.
The Academy is required to be the federal agency responsible for assuring compliance with the NHPA, as the bank stands on Academy property. While not directly part of the Academy mission, the bank was built during the first phase of Academy construction and features design elements found on many of the Skidmore, Owens, and Merrell buildings found on campus. Due to the date of construction, location on campus, and architectural style, the bank contributes to the Academy Historic District status (5EP.595).
In compliance with the NHPA, Armed Forces Bank consulted with the Colorado State Historical Preservation Office and more than 30 federally recognized tribes on the proposed demolition. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation will also be invited to participate, as required by 36 CFR800, because the project will adversely affect the historic district through its loss. Finally, the Academy is seeking public input and comments, a central part of the NHPA process.
The planned demolition of the bank will adversely impact the Academy Campus Historic District. Under Section 106 of the NHPA, steps must be taken to mitigate the impact, which will be laid out in a memorandum of agreement between the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office, the Academy, and Armed Forces Bank.
Examples of potential mitigation include:
- Detailed recording of the building’s architectural plans and features
- The development of interpretive signs or webpages on the bank’s history
Armed Forces Bank will draft the memorandum of agreement in close coordination with the stakeholder agencies listed above.
This announcement seeks to notify the public and obtain their views on the demolition. Any interested party is welcome to request a copy of the draft memorandum of agreement and offer their feedback.
Identifying your interest can be accomplished by emailing 10CES.CENPP.Planning_Programming@us.af.mil or by U.S. mail addressed to:
ATTN CR MANAGER
10 CES/CENP
8120 Edgerton Drive
U.S. Air Force Academy, CO, 80840
Background
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was enacted to acknowledge the importance of protecting our Nation’s heritage from federally related development and to foster historic preservation, including federal-state and federal-tribal collaborations and citizen involvement. Section 106 of the statute addresses federal agencies’ planning procedures, requiring: (1) Federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties, and (2) the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation must be allowed to comment on such undertakings. The Academy’s natural landscape and built environment have a unique appearance related to its original 1950s-era design, and this iconic setting in total is an important symbol and practical resource for the Academy’s mission of developing leaders of character for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The Academy’s cadets, senior officials, staff, graduates, visitors, and supporters all benefit from experiencing the Academy’s special presence.
Visit www.achp.gov/protecting-historic-properties/section-106-process/introduction-section-106 for more information on the National Historic Preservation Act's planning process. The public’s role in the process is explained at https://www.achp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017-01/CitizenGuide.pdf .