RSSEconomic Vitality
Once growing fast, Orchard Mesa struggled through a recession and is now showing a comeback
This home at 164 Winter Hawk, is one of the last homes that will be built in this filing at Hawk’s Nest in Orchard Mesa. The home has three bedrooms and two baths in 2,028 square feet and is listed for $305,900.
A new daycare center has recently opened on Orchard Mesa, giving parents a new option for childcare. Genay Williams and Mara Morgan operated a home daycare business but decided to open a larger center in Meridian Park, along Highway 50 near 29 Road.
The prices have come down at Mesa Estates on Orchard Mesa. This three-bedroom, two-bath patio home has 1,592 square feet and is available for sale at $229,000. The home next to it sold for more than $300,000 prior to the recent adjustment in the real estate market.
Ken McCreanor (drums) and Travis Johnson (guitar) opened Alchemy Recording Studio at the Business Incubator on Orchard Mesa in February. The two often serve as studio musicians for the clients who come in to record.
Signature Homes is building a home in Spyglass Ridge on Orchard Mesa. DON"T USE THIS - I WILL ADD MORE DETAILS WHEN BUILDER CALLS ME BACK!
This will be one of the last homes to be constructed at Rivers Edge in Orchard Mesa near 29 Road and the Colorado River. Blue Star Industries has only two lots that aren’t under a contract in the subdivision.
A few years ago, it looked like Orchard mesa was jumping on the boom bandwagon. Two new shopping areas sprang up along U.S. Highway 50, new subdivisions were coming into the real estate market and the 29 Road bridge made it easier than ever to commute between Orchard Mesa and the rest of the Grand Valley.
Then the recession hit and those shopping areas sat without tenants, new homes sat vacant and developers reconsidered their plans to build more infrastructure. As the new economic reality established itself, however, tenants are signing leases and a few buyers are signing contracts.
Meridian Park, a commercial shopping area off U.S. Hwy. 50 near 29 Road, has been on Orchard Mesa since 2007. For several years, Domino’s Pizza was the only tenant. Although Domino’s Pizza did fabulous business, no other tenants signed on until Mesa County Library opened its Orchard Mesa branch in the shopping area in 2009.
Local businessman Jim Paregien bought the shopping center in February, 2010 and moved his business, Creative Finishes, to Meridian Park last September. In December 2010, he opened an appointment-only discount furniture store in the shopping area. He recently leased two more of the units to a local daycare and is anticipating another tenant to open its doors within the next month.
“He’s just fabulous. Anything we ask for, he’s right there and does it,” said Genay Williams, one of the partners at Smiley Face Center, which opened Aug. 15.
Williams and her partner, Mara Morgan, needed an outdoor play area, an indoor kitchen and several other changes to make it an appropriate place for a children’s center. They got it all and are excited to bring a childcare center to Orchard Mesa.
Parents who drop off their children at the childcare center and other Orchard Mesa residents can satisfy their morning cravings in a few more weeks when Daylight Donuts opens in the same shopping area. In addition to tasty donuts, the coffee shop will offer espresso, pastries and free WiFi.
Orchard Mesa is also home to the Grand Junction Business Incubator, where 64 clients operate a wide variety of businesses. More than half of the incubator clients take advantage of the commercial kitchen and the public will have an opportunity to meet and sample the wares of the kitchen clients at the annual Local Flavors event in September.
Alchemy Recording Studios is one of the newer non-kitchen tenants at the incubator, operated by partners Ken McCreanor and Travis Johnson.
“Business has been good,” said McCreanor. “We’ve been making rent.”
Like musicians everywhere, both partners also have day jobs, but they’re hoping to eventually build the business beyond simply paying the rent and focus more fully their own band and their recording studio.
“We decided to open one (a recording studio) to help musicians like ourselves,” McCreanor said.
Brad Stieg, the owner of S & S Innovations, Corp., is another satisfied incubator client, thanks to the economic space and the assistance the incubator gives to clients in making them aware of various grants. His company creates and distributes a unique product, a reusable canning lid that they’ve been able to sell via the Internet across the country.
“We’re getting ready to expand,” Stieg said.
Before the company can expand, it has to purchase the right injection-molding machine, and Stieg is carefully evaluating his choices.
Mesa Estates, an Orchard Mesa subdivision that came into the market in 2007 when prices were beginning to escalate, is again seeing a little sales activity now that Darren Davidson, the original builder and developer, dropped the most recent prices to reflect the current economy.
The development has been a popular area for retirees, singles and empty nesters who don’t want a yard and its unrelenting maintenance. Seven homes are currently finished and available and there is a daily open house to allow interested buyers to see available homes.
Although prices and subsequent values in the neighborhood have fallen, almost all of the original buyers are still living in the subdivision. Davidson will build more homes as the remaining ones sell. He also plans to create a community garden in the neighborhood for the 2012 growing season.
Hawk’s Nest, a subdivision near 30 and B Roads, has continued to fill with new families who are attracted by the lease-to-own option made available by the developer. There are only a few building lots left in the current filing, and it could be two to three years before the developer decides to build the necessary infrastructure and move forward with the next filing in the subdivision.
“It turned out to be a really nice subdivision,” said Janet Elliott-Pritchett with New Horizons Development.
The large lots are fully landscaped, there is RV parking available, and the elementary school is within walking distance, making the neighborhood a nice option for families.
Business may not be booming like it seemed to be in 2007, but Orchard Mesa is experiencing a boost of economic vitality again in 2011.
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