From Military Heritage to Medical Innovation: City of Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman Reflects on the Fitzsimons Innovation Community Transformation

By: Fitzsimons Innovation Community

As we continue our celebration of the first labs opening at Fitzsimons Innovation Community 25 years ago, few people have witnessed the campus evolution as intimately as City of Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman. His unique perspective spans decades, from childhood memories of a bustling military base to leading the city he grew up in as it embraces a booming future for bioscience innovation, patient care, and research.

A Personal Connection to Our History
Mayor Coffman’s relationship with Fitzsimons began in 1964 when, at nine years old, he arrived in Colorado with his father, a career soldier assigned to the Army Medical Corps at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. He remembered the base as being a peaceful, quiet community, something that would change when the first groups of wounded soldiers began arriving from Vietnam. As a young volunteer with the American Red Cross, Mayor Coffman helped care for wounded servicemen—an experience that left a lasting impact. “It was pretty traumatic, and it certainly had a big influence on me,” he reflects.

The mayor vividly remembers the grandeur of Building 500, the main Fitzsimons hospital that remains today as an historic landmark. “I remember walking onto the marble floor and seeing this grand staircase going up to the second floor. I was just in awe of the building,” he says. “It was the largest building at the time by far in the City of Aurora, and I think one of the largest in the state of Colorado.”

Change Happens Both Slowly and Quickly
After the war, things began to change again. Treatment and patient care at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center began slowing in the 1970s and that progressed until its closure in 1996, when only about 3,000 employees remained between military and civilian personnel combined. “It felt like sort of a ghost town at that point,” Coffman remembers.

However, what followed has been nothing short of extraordinary. Today, between several hospitals, top medical and healthcare schools, and the organizations that call Fitzsimons Innovation Community home, the campus hosts approximately 30,000 employees and 4,500 students, with more than 3,500 active clinical trials underway. “It is now an incredible economic catalyst that is driving redevelopment and revitalization,” says the Mayor.

The Secret Sauce for Success
Having studied successful medical research campuses, including Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Coffman identifies three critical components that make Fitzsimons Innovation Community special: clinical care through major hospitals, top academic programs, and growing research institutes, all integrated on a single, walkable campus.

“In Boston, they have no room to grow whatsoever, and here, we’re sitting on almost 600 acres. The space we have alone speaks to a big future,” Coffman explains. The Longwood area has 213 acres and supports more than 68,000 employees and 27,000 students, numbers that Coffman say highlight the tremendous growth potential for Fitzsimons Innovation Community.

Strategic Vision for the Future
Under the new master plan developed by Tryba Architects, Coffman envisions an even more dynamic future. He’s actively working to consolidate services and move non-essential operations off campus to free up valuable space. The upcoming Army Reserve relocation alone will open up 20 acres in the Community, adding to the more than 50 acres immediately available for development.

“The goal is to make this a bioscience research hub for the entire country,” Coffman explains. “This vision extends beyond the campus boundaries, catalyzing development throughout the surrounding community, including workforce housing projects and market-rate developments that wouldn’t exist without the campus’s economic pull.”

Community Integration Means Growing Responsibly
Addressing concerns about gentrification and community displacement, Mayor Coffman emphasizes his commitment to inclusive development. “Something I think about every single day is: how do I make it to where the individuals who live in this area still have an opportunity to do so as we improve?” His approach includes creating downtown development authorities and exploring innovative programs that help small business owners purchase their locations, allowing them to benefit from rising property values rather than be displaced by them.

In addition to those initiatives, the new Fitzsimons Innovation Community master plan addresses those concerns via important infrastructure developments. The plan incorporates community connectivity through trail systems linking to the Sand Creek trail, as well as integration with the RTD A-Line and R-Line transit and mixed-income housing options to serve workers at all levels. All of these plan elements allow the City of Aurora to continue to grow and improve without alienating any of its residents. 

A Unique Ecosystem
What sets Fitzsimons Innovation Community apart, according to Coffman, is an integrated ecosystem where professionals can seamlessly move between clinical care, teaching, and research. “You can have a research physician see patients in the morning, then go over and teach a class at the medical schools as an associate professor, and then go work on a research project with a startup at Fitzsimons Innovation Community—all on the same walkable campus,” he tells us.

With the recent appointment of Kelly Brough as the new CEO of Fitzsimons Innovation Community, Coffman is even more optimistic about reaching the next level of growth. “With her executive leadership, we will get to that next level,” he says confidently.

Looking Ahead
As Fitzsimons Innovation Community celebrates its 25th anniversary, Mayor Coffman’s perspective reminds us that transformation is an ongoing process. From a young boy walking the marble floors of Building 500 and gaining a true understanding of what’s at stake for patients who come here for care, to leading a growing city and embracing its role as a bioscience hub, his journey mirrors the campus’s evolution from military installation to innovation powerhouse.

“Nobody could have envisioned when the Army closed the medical center that we would be so lucky,” Coffman reflects. “It is just extraordinary, and I’m so excited about it.”

The next 25 years promise even greater achievements as Fitzsimons Innovation Community continues to leverage its unique combination of available space, an entire spectrum of bioscience expertise, and the vision to advance medical research and innovation for Colorado and beyond. We thank Mayor Coffman for taking the time to discuss his history and vision for the future with us. His inside perspective and embrace of innovation is just one part of what makes him a great leader for our city.