Work could begin later this year expanding facility space at the Colorado Mental Health Institute on the south side of Denver.
The institute operates on the grounds of Fort Logan, which was established in the 1880s and eventually served as the home to a Veterans Administration Hospital.
After the U.S. Army officially ended its operations at the site in 1961, the sprawling campus and on-site buildings were taken over by the Colorado Fort Logan Mental Health Center, which served as the precursor to today’s Colorado Mental Health Institute.
Now Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed legislation funding the building of new space to accommodate nearly 20 new beds at the institute. The $17 million in funding for the initiative is coming through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
By design, the new beds will be used for criminal defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial until they have received mental health care.
The Colorado Mental Health Institute, whose address is 3520 W. Oxford Avenue, is one of two state hospitals providing mental health services in the state. The other hospital also belongs to the Colorado Mental Health Institute and is in Pueblo.
By Garry Boulard
