JUNE 3 - 10, 2026
THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE FOR GRAND JUNCTION BUSINESS & COMMUNITY NEWS SINCE 1994
New homes outpacing growth, but more needed
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VOLUME 33, ISSUE 23
THEBUSINESSTIMES.COM
Yards going heavy on metal
Brandon Leuallen The Business Times
rand Junction is beginning to build enough housing to keep pace with population growth, much of it driven by in-migration, according to a draft regional-housing-needs assessment. But the report presented to the Grand Junction City Council on May 25 says simply matching new growth will not immediately restore affordability, because the region is still working through years of housing undersupply. The draft assessment found Mesa County needs 1,661 additional “catch-up” units to address existing shortages, including 717 ownership units and 944 rental units. That need is separate from the housing required for projected growth through 2036. Root Policy Research Managing Director Mollie Fitzpatrick said recent housing production is now keeping pace with projected need by total volume, and in some measures is slightly above the annual “keepup” need. But she said that does not fully erase the existing supply gap or solve affordability problems at the lower end of the market. See story on Page 5
Aided by drought, outdoor metal art is becoming increasingly popular in the Grand Valley — See story, Page 2 Jennifer Gallegos, left, and her husband, John Gallegos, own and operate Desert Metal Art at 929 Pitkin Ave., where they previously owned a used-car dealership, Desert Auto. Jennifer said the two businesses have an interesting similarity: “Everybody wants to negotiate. ... That’s one funny thing about our business. They think it’s like that.” She said they listen to the metal art offers, “because people like to do it.” But there isn’t much need to come down in price, as Jennifer said, “We try to keep our prices as low as we can for everybody, you know, and still do decent. It works out pretty good.” Photo by Tim Harty.
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