There are amazing things going on all over our state, and I'm honored to be able to visit and support what makes Colorado special. As I hear from people all over the state, I am inspired by the positive spirit and optimism of Coloradans. - Jared Polis A Quick Look Back SOLVISTA HEALTH REGIONAL ASSESSMENT CENTER I toured the SolVista Health’s Regional Assessment Center (RAC), located on the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center campus in Salida with former state representative Jim Wilson. The RAC will support addiction recovery and behavioral health through crisis walk-in, acute treatment, respite, and more with local providers housed in a new 15,000 square foot building designed to deliver safe, evidence-based care. Easy access to mental and behavioral health care services has been a priority for the Polis administration since day one. Access to mental and behavioral health care services was already an urgent issue prior to the global pandemic, which is why we have partnered with Colorado lawmakers to make historic investments that will transform our behavioral health system, and ensure Coloradans can get the care they need, when they need it. We applaud SolVista Health’s new Regional Assessment Center, which advances our statewide goals and fills the need for more accessible, affordable, and immediate care for both rural communities and urban centers around Salida and Chaffee County. LUNCH WITH THE SALIDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Joined by the Community Engagement Office I stopped at the Salida Chamber of Commerce to hear from business owners, community leaders, and local elected officials to discuss issues in Chaffee County. The Salida Colorado Chamber of Commerce serves the entire Arkansas River Valley. Helping local businesses grow their customer base and helping visitors to tour the beautiful town get the most out of their experience. At the state, we place a great value on public-private and community partnerships, and look forward to identifying key opportunities for Heart of the Rockies communities to benefit from the impact of our historic legislative session and allocation of ARPA funds flowing to local governments. HOTEL ST. CLOUD  I enjoyed visiting one of the oldest Hotels in Colorado and the historical restoration site the Hotel St. Cloud in Cañon City. The hotel recently received $3M in Community Revitalization Funding from OEDIT. It was originally built in 1879 in Silver Cliff, the hotel was taken apart and reconstructed in Cañon City in 1890 when mining slowed and the population began to decline. The hotel previously housed several businesses before it was abandoned, although the building is still empty; recent renovations have been made to preserve the historic landmark in the community. The story of Hotel St. Cloud continues due to dedicated partners in Unbridled a re-entry job program for previously incarcerated or people suffering from addiction, abuse or PTSD, the Department of Corrections, the City of Cañon City, and the department of Local Affairs. This multi partnership effort to revitalize this historic landmark and provide good paying jobs is another example of the state working to make significant investments to help Colorado’s workforce recover more quickly and sustainably. INDIEDWELL AFFORDABLE HOUSING  I stopped by indieDwell with Mayor Nick Gradisar, Senate President Garcia, and House Majority Leader Esgar. indieDwell is a certified B corporation focused on modular homes production facility in Pueblo that manufactures housing from multi-family homes to emergency shelters. Founded in 2016, indieDwell is a modular manufacturer of healthy, durable, energy-efficient, sustainable housing with a stated mission to help solve the country’s affordable housing crisis. The homes are made from recycled shipping containers. The Pueblo facility opened on July, 6 2020. The indieDwell plant will eventually employ over 200 people and operate two manufacturing lines capable of producing 160,000 square feet of housing per year. indieDwell received an OEDIT Job Growth Cash Incentive of $684,000 for the creation of up to 171 full time permanent net new jobs. Pueblo County provided matching dollars of $1.5M which far exceeds the 1:1 matching requirement. PUEBLO FUEL AND IRON  This exciting project will soon be a delicious new food hall with six locally owned mini-restaurants. I enjoyed speaking with the team at Fuel & Iron, an adaptive reuse of the Holmes Hardware Block in downtown Pueblo. The first floor commercial space will become the Fuel & Iron Food Hall while the second and third floors will be converted to 28 units of affordable housing. The development’s Community Revitalization Grant applications were reviewed last Tuesday, and the $15 million project was recommended for funding of $1M. Overall, the conversion project aims to develop affordable housing, serve as a restaurant incubator, and establish a childcare center. This is a great example and showcase of transformational investment through a public, private, local, and philanthropic partnership. This investment truly embodies so many priorities: community benefits such as child care, housing, and historic preservation and conversion, and also focuses attention on workforce development and small business development. PUEBLO CHILES AND FRIOJLES FESTIVAL I got to visit and enjoy the Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival, home to the best chiles in the world! This is one of my favorite festivals all year and I stocked up on Pueblo chile for my freezer to last us all year. It's a fantastic time to meet with chile growers, watch the roasters fire up, and meet with local businesses. Working closely with local farmers and ranchers to strengthen agriculture and to revitalize rural Colorado is how we empower the Colorado comeback. The 27th annual Chile and Frijole Festival not only celebrates the best chiles in the world, but also Pueblo’s diverse culture and agricultural history. WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S TEAM IS READING David Sibley’s Birding Basics: How to Identify Birds, Using the Clues Ski Patrol in Colorado by John Cameron WE GROW STRONGER WHEN WE GROW TOGETHER. Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Office of Governor Jared Polis | Website State of Colorado - Governor's Office | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]