Feds approve more than $10 million in projects for Aurora and overlapping counties

AURORA | President Joe Biden this weekend signed off on more than $10 million destined for community projects in and around Aurora, including support for local social services, health care, law enforcement and infrastructure.

A news release sent Wednesday by the office of U.S. Rep. Jason Crow called attention to the House of Representatives granting all 15 of the requests he made for funding of projects in the 6th Congressional District, which encompasses most of Aurora and much of the east and south Denver metro area.

“The support uplifts vulnerable Coloradans, improves rural access to health care, supports victims of domestic violence, and makes pedestrian walkways safer,” Crow said in the release. “Every corner of our district will feel the benefit of this funding.”

The House approved the funding Wednesday as part of a $460 billion spending package, followed by the Senate on Friday. Biden signed the bills into law Saturday.

In total, at least 11 of the 15 projects and $10,249,064 of the $12,269,464 in project funding secured by Crow will be awarded to programs and organizations based in Aurora or in Arapahoe or Douglas county. Projects include:

• $3 million to renovate Aurora Public Library’s central location, expanding and improving the building, including creating a new space for teenagers. 
• $1.6 million to help construct two new buildings for Gateway Domestic Violence Services in the area of the Aurora Municipal Complex that will provide emergency shelter and aid to victims of domestic violence.
• $1 million for additional and upgraded equipment that would be used by the Food Bank of the Rockies’ at a new regional facility in Aurora.
• $963,000 to fund the operation and expansion of Douglas County’s Homeless Engagement, Assistance and Resource Team, which pairs law enforcement officers with mental health care workers to undertake outreach to homeless residents.
• $900,000 to relocate and improve the pressure-regulating valves installed in the 1950s and ’60s as part of the City of Aurora’s water distribution system, which will reduce the likelihood of main breaks and improve fire prevention efforts.
• $850,000 for expanding facilities at the Community College of Aurora, adding 24,340 square feet that would be used for student academic support, workforce training programs, a fabrication lab and ten STEM and clean-energy classrooms.
• $850,000 to support the City of Aurora’s construction of a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists over Parker Road that would connect the Regional Transportation District’s Nine Mile Station to local residences and businesses.
• $840,000 to buy and equip a bus for the Community Economic Defense Project that would serve as a mobile office for the Denver nonprofit’s eviction- and homelessness-prevention services. 
• $500,000 for the Aurora-based Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network to create an Asian-American community center that could serve immigrants and refugees.
• $500,000 for upgrading the technology behind Mile High United Way’s 211 Help Center,  which connects callers to food programs, shelter, rental assistance, child care and other resources.
• $455,400 to fund the Town of Bow Mar’s reconstruction and replacement of the road leading to the Mary’s Meadow open space on the south side of Marston Reservoir.
• $402,785 for the expansion of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center’s Rural eConsult program into more health care facilities, allowing medical providers to consult online with specialists and helping patients access care faster.
• $225,000 for the rollout of a STEM curriculum through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver that focuses on space exploration and astronomy, including activities featuring subject matter experts.
• $108,000 to set up new dog kennels for the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office’s canine unit, allowing the unit to house dogs at the on-site and conduct trainings.
• $59,000 to help the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office implement its own Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Board-certified law enforcement academy to train new deputies.