Colorado Springs, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 –The El Paso County Veterans Services Office is moving to a new location to provide more convenient customer access. The new location will be at 5850 Championship View, Suite D, which is just south of Barnes Road between Powers Boulevard and Tutt.
“This move is not about the office, it’s about providing better access to the services our veterans need,” said Jim Tackett, Veterans Services Manager. “Our current location downtown has accessibility issues for veterans with disabilities. It’s a block from a parking garage and there are very few spaces for the disabled along the street. At the new location, people will be able to park right in front and walk in the door. I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback about this move from the veterans we’ve seen in the past few weeks.”
The El Paso County Veterans Services Office provided assistance to more than 7,000 local veterans and their families in 2010 and that number rose to more than 8,000 in 2011. Tackett is expecting to assist even more this year. “We’ve already had a 25 percent increase in January and with the improved access we’ll be even busier,” he said.
The move will also free up space in the Robert L. Russell Professional Building at 105 E. Vermijo which is needed by the Office of the Fourth Judicial District Attorney. The District Attorney has been required to add new prosecutors and support staff for cases in two new courts added by the state judiciary last year.
Space for the new Veterans Services Office previously occupied by the El Paso County Employees Medical Clinic. The clinic is moving to Citizens Service Center at 1675 Garden of the Gods Road.
The El Paso County Veterans Services Office will close at noon (12 p.m.) on Thursday, Feb. 23 and remain closed through Monday, Feb. 27. The new office will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Regular Office Hours for El Paso County Veterans Services are: 8 a.m. to 12 Noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number remains the same, (719) 520-7750.