AURORA | City officials are slated to update Aurora City Council members Monday night on the progress made so far in building a long-planned replacement for the city’s aging animal shelter, a project officials say is critical to maintaining services for lost, abandoned and dangerous animals.
Aurora documents show the $51.3 million project is on track for a groundbreaking ceremony and construction to begin some time this summer.
If the project stays on schedule, it would open to the public some time in 2028, according to city officials.
City lawmakers last year agreed to build a new shelter amid concerns that the current shelter is outdated, overcrowded and out of compliance with state regulations.
The existing Aurora Animal Shelter, originally built as an impound facility in the 1980s and converted in 1984, now serves a city of more than 400,000 residents, which is nearly four times the population it was designed to support.
Officials say the building is operating at 90% to 95% capacity most of the time, with just over 60 kennels available for dogs.
“We are on the verge of totally being shut down and not having the animal shelter at all,” former Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky told the Sentinel last year.
The facility is not compliant with the state Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act, largely due to space limitations. City leaders have said constructing a new building is the most cost-effective way to meet those requirements.
The new shelter will span about 38,000 square feet and house up to 250 animals, with modern features such as separate areas for adoptable and court-order-held animals, isolation and veterinary spaces, and improved indoor-outdoor access.
The shelter is planned for a city-owned parcel adjacent to the current shelter site at East 32nd Avenue and Chambers Road, in east Aurora.
The total cost is estimated at $51,360,000. Funding includes a mix of federal pandemic relief money, city capital funds, impact fees and approximately $27 million in certificates of participation, a lease-purchase financing method that does not require voter approval.
Animal Services Division Manager Anthony Youngblood said last year the current facility limits not only capacity but also the level of care staff can provide. The shelter takes in a wide range of animals, including dogs, cats and even livestock and reptiles.
The shelter also houses animal control operations, further straining space.
The progress report is slated for the city council’s 3:30 p.m. study session.
$51,360,000???
90% to 95% capacity is not over capacity.
We love animals but how can that much money be justified?
Could combining an.imal shelter with homeless shelter be morefficient and nice for homeless people to have a pet to love and care for?
The use of $27 million in certificates of participation (COPs) is a GIANT RED FLAG that this city is sinking financially.
Using COPs is sheer desperation. Its akin to a small business factoring its receivables because no bank will issue it a loan. Here, its essentially a loophole around TABOR: Voters need to approve any true debt but selling future lease payments that the city would receive at a discount isn’t technically debt — even though it commits future funds just like regular debt.
Its a true shame this city council refuses to confront the failed retail/dining economy — the root cause of the city’s financial problems. What’s the solution when there’s no more COPs to sell?
There’s $45 million per year in additional sales tax revenue just sitting on the table awaiting execution of a serious strategy on retail, dining and entertainment. Instead we get desperate coping measures like this.
A COP is an extremely common financing tool for local governments for capital improvements, it is not “sheer desperation.” An immediate no to building any infrastructure to benefit residents is not fiscal prudence, it’s just reactionary conservatism to any government spending.
The City needs a new animal shelter to meet compliance regulations and be able to serve a city of more than 400,000 residents. The employees and volunteers also deserve a space that can better serve their needs so they can serve the animals in their care.