The Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce says its leaders and members are “looking ahead” after losing the competition to be the permanent home of U.S. Space Command headquarters.

Redstone Arsenal military base in Huntsville topped the Pentagon’s official ranking of candidate sites including Colorado to host the headquarters. But The Associated Press reported Monday that sources said President Biden was convinced to keep the command in its startup home of Colorado by Space Command Gen. James Dickinson.

Dickinson “argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness,” AP’s report said. That view was a contrast to Air Force leadership, “who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move,” the AP report said.

The decision “deeply disappointed” the city after it had been selected by “a meticulous decision-making process,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said Monday. “This community went through a lengthy selection process – twice. To have that process invalidated, and to have our selection taken away is demoralizing.”

But Battle said, “No matter where USSPACECOM resides, Huntsville will move forward and continue to be a good neighbor with our national military partners. We fully support our military and aerospace sectors and will work to ensure Huntsville remains a key component in furthering USSPACECOM’s mission on the national and global stage.”

Huntsville’s looking ahead starts next week when hundreds of people arrive for the 2023 Space and Missile Defense Symposium, chamber Marketing and Communications Vice President Clair Aiello said in a statement.

That annual event featuring missile hardware displays and briefings by top military leaders draws hundreds of attendees, vendors and military officers each year.

Aiello said Huntsville’s recruitment team is also working on several possible company moves into the area. And Aiello said the chamber understands the Alabama congressional delegation will “meet to consider its options” after Biden’s decision. Members of the delegation are angry Biden didn’t follow the official process for choosing a headquarters location and reportedly decided the final location himself.

“We look forward to welcoming them,” Aiello said of symposium attendees, “and this is a great opportunity for us to showcase the Rocket City and the many companies here who are supporting the warfighter and our national security.”

Among the new things to show visitors is a night game of the Huntsville City Football Club, the city’s new professional soccer team. Officials call the team another indicator of Huntsville’s growth and widening entertainment options.