Aurora City Council Approves Purchase of Property for Regional Navigation Campus

On Monday, Jan. 22, Aurora City Council approved 7-3 the purchase of the property at 15550 E. 40th Ave. in Aurora for its regional navigation campus to serve those experiencing homelessness. This purchase comes in lieu of previous plans to build a new center.

“The resources slated for the campus represent Aurora’s unique approach to addressing homelessness in a constructive, rehabilitative way using the work-first model we adopted," said Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman.

City staff have toured the site several times over the last several months and have determined, in consultation with city council members, that it has many of the amenities necessary for a fully operational navigation campus. Included are a convention center space to provide an emergency shelter and day shelter, an industrial kitchen, industrial laundry, congregate space, and space for service providers to do case management and offer other services and 255 rooms.

The current property owner is scheduled to wind down and end its business operations over the coming months. The city would close on the property in May 2024.

“By purchasing this existing facility instead of waiting for construction of a new center to complete, we are able to provide vital support for those experiencing homelessness in Aurora much more quickly and at a lesser cost,” said Jessica Prosser, Aurora's Director of Housing and Community Services. “Upon completing renovations, the facility would open as early as 2025.”

The facility's $26.5 million purchase price is based on an appraisal prepared by a third-party appraisal firm on Nov. 16, 2023. The city has gathered $39,991,454 in funding from various sources for the navigation campus project.

$15,360,852 – Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA)
$5,000,000 – Aurora American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds
$3,734,741 – Aurora Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME-ARP funds
$5,000,000 – Adams County ARPA funds
$3,270,861 – Adams County HUD HOME-ARP funds
$5,000,000 – Arapahoe County ARPA funds
$1,125,000 – Douglas County ARPA funds
$1,500,000 – Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) COVID funds

“We are grateful for all of our community partners, especially DOLA and the three counties that serve Aurora,” Prosser said. “We would not be able to do this work without their support."

Some of the services slated for the navigation center include:

Transitional housing
Employment services
Workforce development
Day shelter
Emergency shelter
Medical clinic
Addiction counseling
Mental health services
Medical respite beds
Housing navigation
Case management
Meals

City staff have already consulted with homeless service providers on programming and services the navigation campus would need to provide. They will also connect with nearby residents, businesses and other stakeholders in the area of the proposed navigation center, including those in nearby Denver to create good neighbor plans. Engagement with those experiencing homelessness will also be crucial and part of this project.

The action taken by City Council on Monday only represents the first step in this process, but is required before undertaking decisions regarding an operator, campus layout, specific uses and community outreach efforts. Details on topics will be shared in the coming months based on City Council’s ability to review and approve items related to the navigation center.

Staff have launched a webpage, EngageAurora.org/NavigationCampus, to provide frequent updates and resources throughout the project process. The site is also dedicated to taking questions from community members.

The city-owned land near E. 32nd Ave. and Chambers Road, where staff had previously planned to construct the navigation campus, will instead be used for other city services.