TITUSVILLE, Fla. -- U.S. Space Camp Florida and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville soon will close their doors, unless there's a last-minute reprieve, officials said.
The pending foreclosure was revealed in a company memo obtained Tuesday by FLORIDA TODAY.
Financial losses because of low attendance, especially since Sept. 11, have led to foreclosure on the property by mortgage-holder SouthTrust Bank in Birmingham, Ala., said Mary Merritt, director of both attractions.
Negotiations could keep the doors open beyond the Sept. 17 closing date for both attractions, which are in the same building off State Road 405, a few miles west of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Merritt said.
The U.S. Space Camp Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Huntsville, Ala., owns the property on which SouthTrust Bank initiated foreclosure proceedings Aug. 2.
"We did know the foreclosure was coming," Merritt said. "There's a lot less tourism in Florida. People are afraid to send their children on airplanes, and a lot of our business comes from around the world."
The last five-day residential space camp program will run Sept. 8 through Sept. 13. The camp still is accepting reservations for the remaining camp dates "because our board of directors and our managers believe there will be a negotiation to keep the facility open," Merritt said.
The closing of the attractions will hurt the economy of the Space Coast, especially in Titusville, said Marcia Gaedcke, president of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce. "Certainly, it would be a loss to the community in many aspects," Gaedcke said. "The attractions, along with employing residents of Brevard County, provide a destination for vacationers.
"The KSC Visitor Complex is the most well-known tourist attraction in Brevard County, but the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Space Camp has complemented that," Gaedcke said.
About 115 employees will lose their jobs if the attractions close, Merritt said. There are no plans for layoffs yet.
"There's been some apprehension because nobody wants to see the place close. We just can't imagine letting it go like that," U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame employee Bill Davie said. "It would just be a dirty shame to have it close and not allow kids and other space buffs to take it all in."
U.S. Space Camp Florida has helped more than 50,000 children to train like astronauts through its residential overnight camps since opening in 1998. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, which offers exhibits showcasing the accomplishments of NASA's astronauts, opened in 1990.
"I feel very sad, because I have a son who will be old enough to go to the Space Camp next year, and if it's not there for him, it's just going to break my heart," said Leslie Neihouse of Rockledge, a former manager at U.S. Space Camp Florida and one of its first employees.
"He's been watching the calendar and reminding us when he needs to go"
FLORIDA TODAY learned about the property's impending foreclosure from a July 16 memo that U.S. Space Camp Florida manager Charlene Neuterman sent to her staff.
The memo mentions an Aug. 2 foreclosure hearing, which Merritt confirmed was a legal procedure to start the process, Merritt said.
Neuterman stated in the memo there were two companies interested in purchasing the property -- Delaware North Park Services and another "confidential" company. She mentioned the bank was working to try to reach an agreement with either company before August.
However, the property has not yet been purchased from the bank, Merritt said.
"I don't know of any specific details to discuss yet about the negotiations to keep (the attractions) open," Merritt said, then noted she was trying to remain hopeful they would be purchased.
Dan LeBlanc, a spokesman for Delaware North at Cape Canaveral, where the company runs the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, confirmed that Delaware North has been interested in the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
But he said, "This is not a subject I can get into any detail."
The U.S. Space Camp Program recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in an event hosted by astronaut Jon McBride at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The program first opened at the U.S. Space and Rocket center in Huntsville in 1982.
Neihouse said working at the attraction was among the best experiences of her life.
"When the kids are in the space camp, you see them believe they can do anything," she said. For many kids who attend, "It's their dream to become an astronaut and their parents work hard to send them there. You see them fulfilling a dream," she said.
FLORIDA TODAY reporter Scott Blake contributed to this story.
Published under license from FLORIDA TODAY. Copyright © 2002 FLORIDA TODAY. No portion of this material may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of FLORIDA TODAY.
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