Aurora health brief: Navigation Campus mold testing, metro air advisory, and a proposed mental-health hospital funding plan

ByBrian “Weence” Bateman

Aurora, CO – March 4, 2026 – City officials say occupied areas of the Navigation Campus tested safe for airborne mold as an AQ visibility action day continues.

Aurora is juggling near-term health protections and longer-term planning this week, from indoor air testing at a high-capacity shelter to a metro-wide air-quality advisory and new debate at the Capitol over psychiatric hospital funding.

Aurora Navigation Campus: City says occupied areas tested ‘green’ for airborne mold

Aurora officials say the occupied portions of the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus at 15500 E. 40th Ave. tested within a normal range for airborne mold concentrations, following health concerns raised earlier this winter. The city told CBS Colorado that testing was conducted by Lark Consulting Group, the contractor overseeing the building’s conversion from a hotel into a shelter and services hub.

City staff also said plumbing and sewage issues discovered in mid-January were repaired and that bathrooms and showers in occupied areas are functional. Officials acknowledged higher airborne mold concentrations on the building’s fifth and sixth floors, which are not open to guests; the city said those areas are cordoned off and will remain closed while mitigation work and monitoring continue.

Denver metro air: Action Day for visibility with indoor-burning restrictions

For the broader Denver-Boulder metro area that includes Aurora, state air-quality forecasters issued an Action Day for Visibility effective Tuesday afternoon and continuing until at least 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said indoor burning restrictions are in effect and requested drivers limit gas- and diesel-powered vehicle use during the advisory window, citing poor visibility and an expected exceedance of the state visibility standard.

State politics with local stakes: Proposed tax measure to fund a new psychiatric hospital in Aurora

At the state Capitol, lawmakers introduced House Bill 1301, a proposal described as raising excise taxes on alcohol and marijuana to support construction of the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Aurora and add civil-commitment beds elsewhere in Colorado. The proposal is drafted as a referred tax change, meaning the new rates would require voter approval at the ballot box, according to reporting by Hoodline.

Separately, the governor’s office said Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order memorializing a verbal disaster declaration related to highly pathogenic avian influenza in Weld County, an action the administration said supports state coordination for monitoring and mitigation of disease spread and response operations.

Sources

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/aurora-navigation-campus-tested-safe-mold-health-concerns/
https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/aqidev/advisory.aspx
https://hoodline.com/2026/02/aurora-psych-hospital-on-tap-as-lawmakers-target-booze-and-weed-taxes/
https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/governor-polis-memorializes-verbal-disaster-declaration-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-weld

If you have urgent symptoms, seek medical care. For general questions, talk with a licensed clinician.

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Brian “Weence” Bateman is a health and medical writer who covers public health updates, healthcare policy, and medical developments affecting communities across the United States. He works closely with dentists and healthcare providers and focuses on making complex medical information clear, accurate, and useful for everyday readers.