EL PASO COUNTY — “Northern El Paso County doesn't have anything like this.”
Todd Marts, Executive Director for El Paso County Parks and Community Services is talking about plans to add a nature center at Fox Run Regional Park.
Significantly, the county is ramping up efforts to add the multi-million-dollar nature center at the north end of the region.
The county has two other nature centers toward the south.
Marts said, “The nature centers we have are extremely popular, which is great, but they are nearing capacity. And so, we need to spread those people out a little bit.”
A capital campaign just launched intending to get the work moving.
The estimated budget for the project will likely top $10 million.
“We are pleased to announce we got our first big pledge. Heuberger Subaru has pledged half a million dollars towards the Fox Run Nature Center” said Marts, “We've also raised over another half a million with other private donors. And so, we've already raised our first million.”
There’s a lot more to go.
“What my team has developed is a roadmap on how we plan on getting there. It's a series of a bunch of grants, a lot of foundations, we've started some of those conversations already,” said Marts.
El Paso County leaders have also put in place what is called an Enterprise Zone to encourage small donations that can add when a lot of them happen.
The Enterprise Zone is a tax break for donors.
“Donate individually, anything over $100 will qualify for that.”
By focusing on a capital campaign through 2024 the hope is ground can be broken for the project in 2025.
Click here for more information on the project and how to donate.
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