Lompoc’s City Council voted this week to extend negotiations with a developer to build a space education center. If approved, it’s estimated to create hundreds of jobs and generate millions in tax revenue.
Pale Blue Dot Ventures is a company that searches for commercially attractive space-related opportunities across the nation.
In 2019 they proposed building a space-themed education center in Lompoc, which would cover a little more than 80 acres of Hancock College’s Lompoc campus — about 10 miles away from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Ever since their original proposal, Pale Blue Dot Ventures has been in a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, with the City of Lompoc. Meaning, the City can’t allow other developers to build on this property.
The company has been designing plans and raising funds since 2019 to try to get it approved. This week Pale Blue Dot Ventures attended Lompoc’s City Council meeting to talk about the center’s feasibility and design plans.
Debbie Blow is the project’s Director of Education. At the meeting, she said the center would be an educational experience for local students.
“Lompoc Unified School District will be at the heart of this program. They will be developing a curriculum for the students and the families that visit this program,” Blow said.
Blow said the center would hold science camps for 5th and 6th graders, and career education for high school students — to create what she called a new generation of space workers.
“Through that development they’re going to strengthen what they’re offering, particularly in math and science,” Blow said.
Pale Blue Dot Ventures estimates the center would bring about 400 jobs to the city, and generate about five to six million dollars in tax revenue. It’s also expected to attract about 340,000 visitors every year.
Some council members are still skeptical about the project, but voted to extend negotiations with Pale Blue Dot Ventures until September 6th.
More information about the project is at palebluedotventures.com. Also, you can view the plans for the project here.