AURORA, Colo. — The Colorado Freedom Memorial in Aurora is announcing plans for a new Education and Visitor Center, which will join the iconic glass memorial featuring names of fallen Coloradans.
Groundbreaking is set for August 1.
Rick Crandall announced the plans to a crowd of hundreds Saturday at the memorial’s annual Memorial Day ceremony, detailing plans for the new building which will set on the opposite end of the park from the current memorial.
“That building is going to be a treasure for my hometown, for Aurora, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Crandall.
Crandall said the center will feature a 120-seat theater as well as classrooms for field trips.
People will also be able to take live virtual tours of the Normandy American Cemetery in France.
“It’s incumbent on us, as the following generations, to remember who it was, and to learn who it was that paid the price for our freedoms,” said Crandall.
Glenn Beine lost his son in Afghanistan in 2013 and said he’s happy people will have another place to honor fallen Coloradans.
His son, David Sonka, was killed alongside his K9, Flex, on an Afghan military base.
“I think this is going to provide a much better space for people,” said Beine. “The stories will continue to be told.”
The center is expected to cost roughly $8 million to build. No timeline has been released for completion.
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