Aurora's $1.9 billion infrastructure dilemma: Bridging the gap between rapid growth & public safety

If you've driven down E-470 past the Aurora Highlands lately, you've likely seen a building that has already lived two lives: first as a highway maintenance facility and currently as a visitor center. Soon, this structure in the eastern part of the Denver metro area will take on its most critical purpose yet: Aurora's 18th fire station.

It's a project Aurora Fire Rescue Chief Alec Oughton calls a "perfect location" to heal a stretched-thin emergency system.

"We're very, very excited about this project and what it will mean for our organization, and for the community we take care of," he said. "This is a great opportunity to give this building its third life."

As Colorado's third-largest city grows to more than 414,000 residents, the expansion is moving faster than the infrastructure can keep up, leaving newer neighborhoods miles away from the nearest help. In the Aurora Highlands, response times currently lag between 12 and 18 minutes -- that's an eternity in a business where every second counts.

"(Station 18) is going to shave 7 to 10 minutes off our response times to some areas of Aurora Highlands," said Oughton. "It will have a very significant impact on this area of the city, and really not just in the Highlands itself but a couple miles north or south … it's going to have a significant impact on how quickly we can get in there as the first responding unit."

Oughton said, through a partnership with the community's developer, repurposing the existing building -- located near E-470 and Aurora Highlands Parkway -- made the future for station project more attainable for the city.

"Fire stations are not inexpensive," he said. "Trying to balance a budget while trying to balance emergency response infrastructure is a lot and takes a lot of collaboration."

This "cobbling together" of resources, as Deputy City Manager Laura Perry described it, is a necessity in a city facing a nearly $2 billion list of city infrastructure needs.

"In total, our projects total $1.9 billion. Obviously, the city cannot afford to do that within the means we have available," Perry said. "So, we really want to understand what matters most to folks."

The challenge is a dual-front battle of "keeping up and catching up." While new communities need protection, older parts of the city are aging out.

"We have five fire stations that are over 50 years old," Perry said.

Recently, AFR Station 9 had to be demolished and rebuilt after its foundation began to crumble. The strain is also visible within the Aurora Police Department, where aging buildings that were never intended to be police stations need updating. In a citywide community survey last year, Perry said thousands of residents gave feedback about their wants for improved public safety.

"About 50% of the responses told us that folks want to see investment in stronger response times, fire stations, police … and that's coming forward for further conversations through a variety of meetings we have planned over the next couple of weeks," she said.

Those meetings, part of the city's Build Up Aurora campaign, aim to discuss long-term solutions for projects ranging from public safety to transportation, parks, libraries, as well as accessibility. The city is seeking community input, Perry explained, to ensure it prioritizes what residents want most.

"That is a continual challenge in meeting the demands and needs of a growing city," Perry added. "There are tools in the toolbox the city hasn't used to fund capital projects, which are bonds as one example. We really want to understand through (Build Up Aurora) what the community needs and values. So, at meetings coming up, attendees will be asked to rank their top 5."

For Aurora Fire, that feedback helps guide projects like the in-progress Station 18 -- expected to be operational late this fall -- and the future Station 19, which city council approved and allocated funds to be built on the southeast side in 2027. Chief Oughton said those two new stations will make a life-saving difference for the community, but the department will need at least three more in the next decade, he believes, to keep pace with Aurora's growth.

"I think we're making that progress," he said.

City of Aurora's "Ranking Roundup" feedback sessions in February

Focus Area: Other City Facilities

• Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Aurora Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway
• Projects List
• Survey: If you couldn't attend the meeting, rank the projects online instead (must be completed by March 1)

Focus Area: Parks, Recreation and Open Space

• Thursday, Feb. 19, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Central Recreation Center, 18150 E. Vassar Place
• Projects List
• Survey: Rank the projects online (must be completed by March 1)

Focus Area: Transportation Infrastructure (Pick one to attend)

• Saturday, Feb. 21, 1:30 to 3 p.m., Aurora Center for Active Adults, 30 Del Mar Circle
• Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Moorhead Recreation Center, 2390 Havana St.
• Thursday, Feb. 26, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Southeast Recreation Center, 25400 E. Alexander Drive
• Projects List
• Survey: Rank the projects online (must be completed by March 1)

Focus Area: Libraries, Arts and Culture

• Wednesday, Feb. 25, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Mission Viejo Library, 15324 E. Hampden Circle
• Projects List
• Survey: Rank the projects online (must be completed by March 1)

Focus Area: Public Safety

• Saturday, Feb. 28, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Aurora Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway
• Projects List
• Survey: Rank the projects online (must be completed by March 1)