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 here

In addition, NASA has posted information here.