Featured Areas
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City
Although the city contains some of the oldest housing areas in the region, it's also an area that's constantly changing. New commercial buildings, new restaurants, remodeling projects and street redesigns are all contributing to an area that remains vital and attractive for homeowners. >>> More |
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Clifton
The future of Clifton is up in the air right now; it's in an unincorporated area in Mesa County. It's not part of Grand Junction like Orchard Mesa or the Redlands, yet it is not a separate city or township, like Fruita or Palisade. "We're down to two options," say Michael Warren with the long-range planning department. "Clifton can be annexed by the city of Grand Junction or incorporate into its own city." >>> More |
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DeBeque
Although DeBeque declared itself a Wild Horse Sanctuary City in 2001, holds Wild Horse Days every August and has erected a statue in honor of the mustangs that make their home in the nearby canyons, DeBeque is becoming more than just a small town with a fondness for horses. >>> More |
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Delta
Like most towns on the Western Slope, Delta is growing. And yes, some of their growth can be traced to the energy industry. Coal mining has been a steady contributor to the Delta County economy for years, and now Delta is starting to see support services for the oil and gas energy open offices in Delta. >>> More |
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Fruita
Access to both healthcare and recreation can be powerful draws for a community, and Fruita has stepped up to the plate in both areas. >>> More |
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Gateway
Gateway Canyons Resort has changed the face of Unaweep Canyon. Although some residents may complain about rising taxes and abundant tourists, most are happy to have a consistently open gas station and a grocery store. Those who have taken jobs at the resort are happy not to be driving into Grand Junction every day for work. >>> More |
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Glade Park
Although Glade Park has changed over the years, it's not a community where anything happens overnight. That can be both a blessing and a curse. >>> More |
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Loma and Mack
Loma and Mack, two rural communities west of town, are struggling with the basic urban convenience of a sewer system. Residents are being asked if they want it, and if they do, they may need to allow for a higher housing density to help pay for it. >>> More |
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Mesa
There's no McDonald's, but the Drive-In near Collbran serves up a mean burger. There's no mall, but the Padilla?s General Store in Mesa sells everything from doll clothing to fishing gear, groceries and dishes. There are no big subdivisions, but homeowners who want a rural setting and aren't afraid of a little winter can find dream homes of many shapes and sizes near Mesa, Collbran or elsewhere in Plateau Valley. >>> More |
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Moab
The overall population of Moab is around 5000 and has seasonal swings, but has grown at a manageable 3% per year for the last five years. The community wants to be ready should all their 2nd home citizens decide to make Moab their primary residence. Planners also want to make their community attractive enough to attract the necessary workers for their tourist industry, although the available recreation is what attracts and retains most tourism employees. >>> More |
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Montrose
With two state highways bisecting the town, a regional airport that serves ten times as many visitors as residents, and a location that puts it an hour's drive from almost every available recreational activity offered in the state of Colorado, Montrose sees a lot of people passing through to somewhere else. >>> More |
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North
The economic woes of the rest of the country have surfaced in Grand Junction, although not on the scale seen in some rust belt towns and neighborhoods. In the north area, where residential lots are hard to find and the hospitality business kept the airport area booming throughout 2008, some projects are moving forward. Others have stalled, waiting for financing and better days. >>> More |
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Northeast
The northeast area includes some of the oldest parts of the valley and some of the fastest-growing areas. North Avenue has been a main drag for years and unfortunately, it shows. Some of the buildings and parking lots look like they're stuck in a 1960s time warp, with dated signage, inadequate infrastructure and limited landscaping. Fortunately, the city is aware of the need for revitalization, and so are a few builders who are doing the difficult work of infill development. >>> More |
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Northwest
The proximity to Interstate 70 and Highway 6 & 50 make the northwest area an ideal place for business. Historically, it's been a good place for agriculture. As some farms gave way to housing, small three-to-five-acre estates have become the norm, at least north of I-70. Now it's an area trying to determine what it wants to be when it grows up. "It's challenging to plan there," says Michael Warren, senior planner with Mesa County. "Some parts of the area are city and some are county. It adds to the confusing look of the area because the two have different standards." >>> More |
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Olathe
If the potato grower's co-op, the corn festival and the irrigated fields surrounding the town don't make it abundantly clear that Olathe is a farm town, perhaps a visit to the local hardware store will. At Olathe True Value Hardware, you won't just find water heaters and paint, but horseshoes and plow shares, too. >>> More |
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Orchard Mesa
It takes a lot of vision to start a business in a slowing economy, but Orchard Mesa presented opportunities that partners Eddie Elari and Keith Simkins couldn't ignore. "Business is good," says Elari. "There's no competition, everything else is downtown." The partners recently opened Anytime Fitness on Highway 50 and have been pleasantly surprised from the reception they've received from locals. >>> More |
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Palisade
Don't tell the town of Palisade that there's a recession going on. While sales tax fell elsewhere in the county, it rose eight percent in the first quarter of 2009 in Palisade. "A lot of it is the hotel," admits Tim Sarmo, Palisade town administrator. The hotel is the Wine Country Inn, which opened about a year ago in Palisade and offers guests a boutique hotel experience in a vineyard setting. >>> More |
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Parachute and Battlement Mesa
From the terraced hills of Battlement Mesa you can look across the freeway and see the activity that's driving the local economy. In Parachute, the trucks that lumber through town remind residents that energy is king once again. The two communities share a freeway exit, a school district and a history of survival in spite of the ups and downs of the energy industry. >>> More |
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Plateau Valley
Although business is good in Plateau Valley and throughout the mountain communities, business is also for sale in Collbran and on the Grand Mesa. In Collbran, the flower shop, restaurants, the grocery store, the convenience store, and a hotel are for sale. On the mesa, Mesa Lakes Resort, Spruce Lodge, Grand Mesa Lodge and Alexander Lake Lodge are all for sale, as well. >>> More |
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Redlands
Houses may not be going up as fast and furious as in previous years, but the Redlands remains a desirable place to live, even as new construction in some developments has stopped. Other subdivisions, like Redlands Valley off Broadway, have continued to sell, although not at record-breaking paces. >>> More |
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Riverside
It's one of Grand Junction's oldest neighborhoods, within walking distance to downtown, with great views of the monument and right next to the Colorado Riverfront Trail. It's also one of the most overlooked areas in town. All that could change as the Riverside Parkway transforms the lower downtown area and puts the Riverside neighborhood on display. >>> More |
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Southeast / Pear Park While the economic slowdown may have put the brakes on some plans for building and development in the southeast area, other developer's plans are proceeding, perhaps a bit slower than they were two years ago. >>> More |
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Whitewater
Mesa County has written the plan for Whitewater, and is now implementing it through the rezoning process and by bringing sewer to the rural community. "518 parcels have the potential to be rezoned," says Michael Warren, senior planner with Mesa County. The county is sponsoring a rezoning effort, encouraging property owners to participate in the process that will change the zoning of their property from rural, agricultural/forestry/transition to urban. As part of the Whitewater master plan, the county has already determined where the mixed use, commercial and industrial land will be, as well as which parcels will remain residential. >>> More |
