Downey extends lease for space shuttle Inspiration refurbishment site

DOWNEY – The Downey City Council has approved an 18-month extension of a lease that allows crews to continue refurbishing the Space Shuttle Inspiration mock-up before it is installed at the Columbia Memorial Space Center’s planned shuttle exhibit.

The council voted to amend its agreement with Downey Land Limited for the lease of a property at 12140 Bellflower Blvd., where the shuttle mock-up has been undergoing rehabilitation since 2024. The extension pushes the lease termination date to March 11, 2028.

City officials said the additional time is needed to finish restoration work on the full-scale shuttle replica and to align with construction of the future Shuttle Exhibit and Education Building, where Inspiration will be permanently displayed.

Under the amended agreement, the city will continue paying $4,000 per month for the site. The 18-month extension adds $72,000 to the lease, bringing the total cost of the agreement to $168,000.

The original two-year lease was approved in September 2024, and the shuttle was transported to the Bellflower Boulevard property shortly afterward so refurbishment work could begin.

City staff said several improvements have already been completed at the site, including utilities, grading, fire suppression systems and installation of a temporary structure to support the project. Officials anticipate that guided tours of the refurbishment site could begin this summer once accessibility upgrades and fire system improvements are finished.

Funding for the lease is provided through a state grant administered by the California Natural Resources Agency for the rehabilitation of the Space Shuttle Inspiration mock-up.

The Inspiration replica, built in Downey and long displayed outdoors near the Columbia Memorial Space Center, is being restored as part of a broader expansion project that will eventually house the shuttle inside a new exhibit and education facility.