07.12.06

Bruce Buckingham
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

RELEASE: 46-06

NASA SEEKS MASTER DEVELOPER FOR KSC'S EXPLORATION PARK

NASA today issued a solicitation to attract offers for the development 
and long-term operation of Exploration Park at Kennedy Space Center.

The agency posted a draft request for proposals and seeks comments 
from industry on the draft by Aug. 17. A briefing for potential 
developers and a site tour is planned at KSC for Aug. 10. 

NASA envisions Exploration Park as a unique technology and commerce 
park development, featuring trend-setting, sustainable design 
features while hosting cutting-edge technology and space 
exploration-related activities at the nation's primary spaceport. 
NASA's primary objectives in establishing Exploration Park at KSC are 
to:



Enable and grow private sector participation and contribution to the 
long-range exploration of space by the U.S. and its international 
partners;


Promote the development and use of technologies that contribute to 
space exploration and preservation of Earth's environment;


Attract tenants who advance the mission of NASA and KSC with an 
emphasis on commercial, academic and governmental synergy;


Expand access to and use of the capabilities of KSC and neighboring 
space launch and landing sites.



NASA also seeks through this project to accomplish a federal 
government goal of improved asset management by obtaining increased 
value from underutilized property.

Through the solicitation, NASA aims to select a forward-looking, 
creative and highly capable developer who is adept at planning and 
delivering projects that foster entrepreneurial opportunity while 
honoring the environment. NASA intends to select a master developer 
of Exploration Park whose role and responsibility will be to:



Define a master development plan for the entire park, including 
planned phasing;


Define and implement detailed development plans to integrate all of 
the initial infrastructure and building projects and those of any 
subsequent phases;


Provide full financial, management and project integration resources 
to design and deliver the site improvements for initial and any 
subsequent phase projects, including any build-to-suit projects 
and/or spec buildings to be constructed and owned by the master 
developer;


Assure that all development in Exploration Park is consistent with 
design standards and implementation approaches proposed by the master 
developer and accepted by NASA;


Establish and sustain an Exploration Park operations and management 
structure that ensures a well maintained, quality development.



NASA plans to negotiate a long-term lease and development agreement, 
up to 75 years in term, and offer immediate and future development 
rights consistent with the site boundaries and conditions defined for 
the Exploration Park project.

The master developer selection is a two-step process. NASA intends to 
use the responses to the first step to establish a list of 
approximately five most highly qualified candidates. Step two 
responses to this request for proposals will be accepted only from 
those developers on the short list.

Prospective tenants and/or site developers with a specific project 
interest who wish to participate in Exploration Park -- but who do 
not wish to be considered as the master developer -- are encouraged 
to express their interest, and NASA will accept such information for 
the master developer ultimately selected. The master developer will 
have the right to sublease space in multi-tenant projects or improved 
sites for the development and use of improvements built by others.

The entire solicitation can be viewed at:

http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=76

In addition, NASA has posted information at:

http://www-ss.ksc.nasa.gov/exploration%20park/default.html

	
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