Uncertain Future For Fort Lyon Appears Settled
DENVER (AP) - A plan to turn a former prison in southeast Colorado into a treatment center for the homeless appears to have cleared a final hurdle.
The Colorado Senate late Monday signed off a bill that included renovating the mothballed Fort Lyon Correctional Facility near Las Animas as a treatment center for long-term homeless, including homeless veterans.
The prison renovation was touted by Gov. John Hickenlooper as the best possible use for the century-old prison. But legislative budget-writers rejected the governor's request for $6 million over two years amid concerns the facility needs more renovation than advertised and isn't a good location for a homeless treatment center.
After a back-and-forth with the House over Fort Lyon funding, the Senate changed course Monday and sent the measure to Hickenlooper's desk.
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