The Development Program describes the strategy that NASA must undertake to support the expansion of non-NASA operations at KSC. The Development Program outlines strategies to:

• Sustain KSC’s ability to meet current and future mission requirements.
• Consolidate NASA’s operations into fewer, more efficient and cost-effective facilities while maintaining technical capabilities.
• Address agency Current Replacement Value (CRV) reduction goals.

“Right-sized” NASA operations at KSC are essential to support the multi-user spaceport model. This effort requires the consolidation of NASA operations and the reduction of NASA’s footprint, which will free up areas and assets for non-NASA uses. The development of the Central Campus is an initiative supporting the right-sizing efforts at KSC as a means to reduce operational overhead and support the transition to this multi-user model.

Projects that support continuing NASA programs, as well as future and anticipated NASA missions that may affect the KSC facility inventory, are included in the Implementation component. These projects include new facilities as well as modifications to existing assets.

The Master Plan takes into consideration all development factors to produce a broad preliminary understanding of which areas of KSC are most conducive to new development (Development Conditions), with strategies to implement future development in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner.  A Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts from proposed center-wide KSC operations, activities, and facilities across a 20-year planning horizon.  It considers a range of future scenarios for repurposing existing facilities and recapitalizing infrastructure, and for reorganizing the management of KSC and its land resources, with potentially various kinds of partnerships, some of which are already in place.

While the center-wide programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) assesses the cumulative impacts of proposed land use changes at KSC, all new development at KSC should be evaluated at an project-specific level to determine what form of NEPA analysis is appropriate. 

KSC’s development strategy is broken down into three separate but interrelated sub strategies.  KSC’s asset strategy analyzes the past and future use of facilities at KSC, focusing on which shuttle-era facilities are the most appropriate and conducive to convert to future NASA or commercial operations.  The Central Campus Plan aims to consolidate NASA operations to a smaller geographic footprint that results in greater efficiency, resulting in lower operating costs, and opportunities for non-NASA entities to operate in areas of KSC that do not contain NASA operations. The sustainability strategy was developed in conjunction with KSC’s Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan and fully supports the goal of executing NASA’s mission without compromising the planet’s resources.  The unique relationship between spaceflight operations and protection of natural resources is carefully orchestrated to ensure that both objectives are achieved with minimal conflict.

Planning Initiatives and Actions 

Define a sustainable future state

• Accurately define baseline assets required by NASA programs together with their costs and potential funding.
• Quantify the need for supplemental revenue from surplus assets and non-NASA entities.
• Calculate the direct costs of maintaining, operating, and securing baseline assets
• Forecast revenues to be derived from baseline assets, including government funding, as the foundation for business decisions about non-NASA activities — what is the shortfall that must be made up with funding from other sources?
• Create a list of surplus assets that can be leased to non-NASA entities, either as dedicated non-NASA facilities or facilities to be shared with NASA programs.
• Calculate the direct costs of maintaining, operating, and securing surplus assets.
• Forecast revenues to be derived from surplus NASA assets by divesting or out-granting them to non-NASA entities.
• Use this data to formulate a business case and consistent policy for the KSC commercialization program.
• Estimate facility operating budgets for KSC for the near, medium, and long-term periods.
• Based on operating budgets, verify CRV reduction targets for KSC for the near, medium, and long-term periods and confirm that CRV is a valid metric for real-estate strategy.
• Confirm if CRV policy in connection with property status can be altered, i.e., if CRV must be carried for out-granted property.
  

Develop non-NASA opportunities at KSC

• Identify Non-NASA programmatic launch-related activities.
• Identify non-NASA programmatic opportunities including facilities for space market supply chain vendors.
• Recognize the potential revenue benefits associated with commercial non-programmatic opportunities and broaden the target market to include businesses that are not related to the space industry, but that may have high revenue potential.
• Develop a cost / benefit analysis for these opportunities including estimated costs versus potential revenue.
• Modify the business case to include both programmatic and non-programmatic non-NASA opportunities, including key objectives, supporting tactics and performance metrics.
  

Leverage non-NASA funding for new projects whenever possible

• Periodically review the list of scheduled NASA-funded projects to incorporate them into the overall asset strategy; verify if overall CRV increases are acceptable and evaluate projects for potential funding by non-NASA entities.
• Accurately define the core mission and required baseline assets for NASA programs
• Clearly define the programmatic mission by defining current and future NASA program activities.
• Identify the launch-related assets required to accomplish NASA program work.
• Maintain a related list of surplus launch-related assets that can be leased to other users, either as dedicated non-NASA facilities or facilities to be shared with NASA programs.
• Categorize surplus assets by activity or type such as buildings, transportation, and infrastructure.
  

Out-grant or divest surplus or unnecessary facilities to non-NASA entities

• Mothball, abandon, or demolish facilities not needed by either NASA programs or non-NASA entities.
• Seek partnerships that can leverage available assets and developable land resources (e.g.: alternative energy developers and emerging commercial opportunities) to meet evolving demand as non-NASA business opportunities arise.
• Evaluate out-grant or divestiture opportunities based not only on potential cost reduction, but also on prospective revenue.
• Leverage available federal funding supplemented by private and public revenue streams from diversification opportunities.
• Develop a strategy to preserve unique capabilities and assets that may not be matched to current programs (mothball).
• Review the status of mothballed properties and divest, abandon, or demolish those that have been in mothballed status for more than 5 years.
• Abandon or demolish non-unique assets that have exceeded their useful life.
• Base decisions to abandon or demolish existing assets on standard criteria including building age, condition, maintenance, energy usage, uniqueness, and leasing potential.
• Confirm Facility Condition Index scores: the most recent FCI scores may be from 2011 as reflected in the RPMS export of 08-08-2013.

 
Promote growth and implementation of the Central Campus Concept

• Direct all future non-hazardous NASA facilities and activities to the central campus area.
• Assess shop and warehouse functions, relocating as many functions as feasible to Contractors Road in order to free up the West Industrial Area for future non-NASA development