Juan Marcano: “I want to create a downtown in Aurora”

MAYORAL CANDIDATE | Councilman Juan Marcano. (Picture/El Comercio de Colorado)

MAYORAL CANDIDATE SPEAKS

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Juan Marcano, the current councilman for Aurora’s District 4, aspires to be elected as the mayor of the city. Marcano was elected in November 2019 for a four-year term. Prior to serving as a councilman, he had a career in architecture and urban project management. Marcano was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, but grew up between Florida and Texas. He knows how to execute the viola, and his primary aspiration is to promote the construction of a downtown for Aurora. He claims to have a solution for homelessness.

You come from the world of architecture. How does it feel to see that Aurora doesn’t have a downtown?

Juan Marcano: It’s something we’ve truly been missing. We’re a city of almost 400,000 inhabitants, and we don’t have a downtown. It’s embarrassing. There are cities half our size with urban centers featuring skyscrapers, sports teams, and many other activities. We lack it due to a lack of political will and vision. As a council member, I’ve had discussions with developers. They want to build affordable commercial spaces and assist us in creating an urban center. It requires a public-private partnership.

Where would it be located?

JM: I would love to see it built in front of the city hall. There’s a large undeveloped land there. We have the R Line light rail station right next to it. We’re adjacent to the Aurora shopping mall. I envision an urban center that resembles, perhaps, Barcelona. A place where people can walk and enjoy.

Juan Marcano: “I want to create a downtown in Aurora”

What is your main difference from Mayor Coffman?

JM: The way we address the issue of homelessness. I’m frustrated that he misled people about the solution to homelessness. He said that the camping ban would solve the problem. We’re wasting over two million dollars a year just moving people around the city. I took him to Houston, along with colleagues from the council and people from Adams and Arapahoe counties. Houston serves as a reference because they’ve reduced homelessness by 60 percent in the last 11 years. He doesn’t like that model. He’s following Colorado Springs.

Juan Marcano: “I want to create a downtown in Aurora”

What is Houston’s strategy?

JM: They close camps only when they provide these individuals with a place to live. They provide housing and connect them with a range of services. There’s a case manager with access to mental health and job counseling specialists. This assistance is provided according to the needs and the speed at which people are willing to accept it. Houston spends $19,000 per person per year. We spend between $40,000 and $80,000 per person per year with the model of camping ban as the sole strategy.

Tell me one positive aspect of Coffman’s performance?

JM: He united all the council members in rejecting his initiative to become a mayor with more powers, ja ja ja. On a serious note, I think it was important that he led the water use and conservation plan for future new developments. I was excited to see him do that. Now we need to make it retroactive and help our residents with grants to ensure we don’t deplete our water supply by watering lawns in our city. Coffman did the right thing.

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