DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Health worked alongside city leaders Thursday to have the official groundbreaking for the Sam Sandos Westside Family Health Center.
“I don’t think anyone would imagine we’d put shovels in the ground before the election is finalized,” Mayor Mike Johnston said during a press conference. “We aren’t waiting, this has passed with 70% of the votes.”
The new facility will be partially funded through the Denver Vibrant Bond, a voter-approved initiative that passed on Tuesday. Now, just 48 hours later, the groundbreaking happened.
“This has been a huge priority. We started talking to Denver Health about this even before we knew we were doing a bond,” Councilwoman Jamie Torres, with District 3, said.
Torres was the push behind the project. She said this building is needed for the growing Sun Valley neighborhood community.
“I was born and raised across the street from this clinic,” Torres said. “This is where our needs are met.”
The new facility will increase patient capacity by 30%, serving more than 33,000 patients annually, according to a press release sent by Denver Health.
“It will offer expanded and enhanced services, including pediatric and adult primary care, dental care, OB/GYN, physical and occupational therapy and advanced imaging such as CT, X-ray, ultrasound and mammography,” the press release stated.
Torres said she felt really good about this measure on election night and sent a thank you to voters who voted in favor.
“They had hopeful optimism,” Torres said. “I think people felt good about this item.”
The Vibrant Denver Bond will give $20 million to the entire project. The total cost is expected $100–$115 million, and it will be constructed on the existing clinic’s parking lot and is expected to open in 2027.
“The new center will retain the name Sam Sandos, honoring Denver’s first Latino city council member and the clinic’s historic role serving Spanish-speaking communities since 1968,” Denver Health stated in a press release.
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