The Corbin Sambrano Community Renewal Project: A New Era of Healing and Hope

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Corbin Sambrano Wellness Center is a community restoration initiative that combines mental health and rehabilitative services. The project seeks to redevelop 1.93-acre property donated to El Paso County in 2020, which was previously used as an autobody shop, vehicle dealership, and adult entertainment venue with a history of crime and human exploitation. The site will be transformed into a public Wellness Center with enrichment programs, services for crime victims, outdoor recreation/gathering spaces, and other potential purposes as outlined in the planning document. The community played a lead role in visioning and planning the site, resulting in a consensus to create a New Community Wellness Center with flexible internal spaces for resources for victims, youth, and community enrichment programs. The exterior will feature a community wellness garden, outdoor play areas for children, passive outdoor gathering spaces, and outdoor learning for enrichment programs. Mental health services, rehabilitative services, victim services, and community resource programs will be emphasized and collaboratively developed with government and community stakeholders. Several million dollars are needed to carry the planning and initial development and clean-up stages to fruition and carry the project forward to shovel-ready status.