Arapahoe County outlines consolidation plan to cut $600,000 Willow lease, moves public health to Lima

Arapahoe County officials described Thursday a multi-year facilities plan to consolidate leased operations into county‑owned buildings, a move county staff says will save about $600,000 a year when the Willow lease is eliminated.

Facilities and Fleet Management director Ken Morris told the Board of County Commissioners the county has consolidated AD Works into Lima and is set to complete the public health move from the Willow leased space into Lima in mid‑June, after permits were signed off. “We are fully on track to eliminate that $600,000 a year lease at Willow by August,” Morris said.

The plan grows out of a 2023 countywide facility master plan that combined a space study and a facilities condition assessment to identify opportunities to consolidate leased space, repurpose aging buildings and centralize services. The initial recommendations included moving public health into Arapahoe Plaza East (APZ East) when space becomes available, consolidating AD Works to a single building, and vacating Arapahoe Plaza first floor to free space for public health.

County staff reported progress on several recommendations: AD Works consolidated to Lima; the 9‑1‑1 backup call center and family‑time rooms at CenterPoint were completed; DA diversion moved into Arapahoe Plaza South; and the county is designing space for the public trustee at APZ East with construction funding to be requested in the 2026 budget.

Officials also discussed the Broadway facility, which staff noted is the oldest and worst‑condition building in the county portfolio and is likely to be the subject of a future disposal or repurposing decision. Morris said staff had received interest from the City of Englewood about a possible library use but added that interested parties have also discussed tearing down the site.

Commissioners pressed staff on north–south access for residents if services move to Lima and CenterPoint. Commissioner Rhonda Fields and others raised concerns that moving public health and other services farther south could reduce access for residents in North Aurora, and asked for demographic, transit and client‑use maps to inform decisions. Morris and other staff said future site searches will prioritize mass‑transit access and that public health staff prefer to remain near Altura Plaza’s service area unless a suitable site within about a mile is found.

On the Aurora DMV lease, staff said the current lease runs through March 2027 and that three options are being considered: renew the lease short term, buy and renovate a building within the county’s search area, or relocate some services to CenterPoint if feasible. Staff said a Walgreens property had been priced at about $7.3 million plus an estimated $2.5 million in renovations but was not ideal.

Commissioners asked for a more strategic, visual briefing showing facility locations, nearby population and transit access, and a clearer timeline and budget implications. Morris offered to provide regular updates; commissioners indicated they want periodic check‑ins timed to the county’s capital planning process.

Finally, county staff said they will create a formal space‑request form and review process to centralize and document space requests. The form will route requests through Facilities and Fleet Management and include a budget review so the county can better track approvals, vacancy and occupancy levels, and long‑term needs. Morris said the county will also perform a more precise occupancy/vacancy study to inform space decisions and identify unneeded desks and underused space.

Ending: County staff said they will return with more detailed maps and cost estimates, put the Altura/CenterPoint site analysis into the capital planning calendar, and bring the draft space‑request form to the executive leadership team before implementing it countywide.