AUGUST 13 - 20, 2025
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Las Colonias redirection nets progress Brandon Leuallen
T
The Business Times
he Las Colonias Riverfront Zip Adventures zip line, once billed as a signature attraction of Grand Junction’s downtown riverfront development, closed without notice partway through 2024. While the attraction had been covered in previous reporting about its opening, its closure wasn’t made public until a recent Business Times article drew questions from the community about the prospects and current status of the broader Las Colonias development. In a July 28 interview with The Business Times, Curtis Englehart, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, said that while the zip line isn’t operating, the broader redevelopment effort continues to progress, propelled by new strategies and shifting priorities. “I think sometimes it can be difficult from a community perspective if you don’t see a new building going up every six months,” he said. “But the process alone takes a lot of time and a lot of money on the developer side to make it happen.” Englehart then pointed to a map of the park and surrounding area, noting parcels already developed, others sold or leased and slated for construction in the near future, and additional sites with strong development prospects in the pipeline. See story on Page 2
VOLUME 32, ISSUE 31
THEBUSINESSTIMES.COM
Riverfront Revision GJEP director says new strategies and shifting priorities propel continued development of Las Colonias Park.
Las Colonias Park is shown from overhead in this photo that was taken by a drone. Originally, the business park targeted only certain types of outdoor and tech companies. Under those strict rules, some local businesses and others outside the outdoor sector may have been discouraged from applying or were turned down. Today, the area is zoned as Planned Development, opening the doors to certain manufacturing, office buildings and retail spaces. That flexibility has turned into a major selling point, according to Grand Junction Economic Partnership Executive Director Curtis Englehart. Photo courtesy of Grand Junction Economic Partnership.
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