Denver committee approves CARES renovation, $3.67 million crisis-center extension
The proposed CARES renovation contract draws on state and city opioid-abatement funds; a separate city match is also listed for the project.
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Denver’s Health and Safety Committee approved by consent on Oct. 21 a proposed $675,000 contract to renovate Denver CARES and a $3,670,867 increase to the Behavioral Health Solutions Center contract, committee minutes show.
The CARES renovation is intended to turn the facility into a coordinated recovery and stabilization hub that meets Level 3.5 residential treatment standards and increases capacity for evidence-based opioid-use-disorder services. The project targets completion before the July 1, 2027, compliance deadline, and the contract would run through May 15, 2028, the city’s proposed agreement and earlier contract request say. The work includes upgrades to plumbing, electrical and heating and ventilation systems, as well as floor-plan changes.
The agreement sets a maximum city payment of $675,000, subject to annual appropriation, split evenly between a Colorado Opioid Abatement Council infrastructure grant and Denver opioid-abatement funds. Its capital budget separately identifies a $1,159,746 city match toward the renovation; that amount is not part of the contract. The agreement does not establish that the match has been appropriated, committed or paid.
The committee also approved an amendment adding $3,670,867 to the Mental Health Center of Denver’s contract to operate the Behavioral Health Solutions Center. The city’s contract request describes the center as a 24-hour voluntary crisis-care facility for adults, offering assessment, crisis stabilization, treatment, medication services, peer support and referrals. It also provides transitional shelter and related support for eligible people who are homeless or unstably housed.
The amendment would raise the contract total to $27,079,152 and extend it through Aug. 15, 2027. The city said the extension is intended to maintain services while it delays a planned procurement as state rules for crisis stabilization clinics are revised.
The committee’s CARES approval is not final City Council action. The filed bill leaves Council passage and mayoral approval fields blank, and the Legistar matter page listed the item as “Approval Review” on Oct. 29. The proposed agreement says it will not bind the city until required signatories execute it and, if required, City Council approves it.