Colorado employers may be facing some of the highest inflation in decades, not to mention talk of recession (no, one hasn’t been officially announced). But one thing that may be finally easing up is attracting enough workers. It’s still bad, just not as bad as it was a year ago, said Curtis Englehart, executive director […]
Grand Junction Economic Partnership
Posted inBusiness, News, Newsletters, The Outsider, Transportation
An upgraded Grand Junction rail yard could accelerate Western Slope economic development
What if something as simple as getting freight trains to stop for a moment in Grand Junction could keep businesses and jobs on the Western Slope, support Grand Valley economic-development and reduce truck traffic on Interstate 70? “It would be huge; an absolute game-changer for the Western Slope,” if rail owners Union Pacific and Burlington […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Newsletters, Outdoors, The Outsider
“Bigger than a trail”: Grand Valley’s Palisade Plunge set to open after 10 years of planning, partnerships
PALISADE — “This next stretch, this is where the exposure becomes, um, moreso,” Scott Winans says. The dozen-plus mountain bikers lean over their handlebars and scan the cliff next to the narrow singletrack. A few nervous chuckles evaporate in the gusting wind. For the next hour, the riders mutter “moreso” to each other as they […]
Posted inNews
The Western Slope economy was already improving. Then Opportunity Zones added a power boost.
MONTROSE — David Dragoo leans over a balcony of the new headquarters for his Mayfly Outdoors. Inside, workers are forging high-end fly-fishing equipment. Outside, earth movers crawl across a dusty tract near cyclists leisurely pedaling along the lush banks of the Uncompahgre River. “Ten years ago, it just wasn’t cool to be here. It didn’t […]
Posted inBusiness, Education, Growth, News, Politics and Government, Technology
Lockheed Martin sniffs around for space in Grand Junction
An oh-by-the-way comment dropped into a recent Club 20 address by Gov. Jared Polis may—or may not — signal a significant economic development win for the Western Slope city of Grand Junction that has been wooing the aerospace industry. Polis was speaking to the Western Slope coalition of counties at their annual fall meeting Saturday […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Environment, Growth, News, Outdoors
The Palisade Plunge (and its 6,000-foot descent) will be one of Colorado’s crown jewels
GRAND JUNCTION — Perched on basalt boulders at the end of a path freshly carved through a jungle of scrub oak, Scott Winans is as close as ever to a 10-year goal that promises to highlight the recreational assets of his Grand Valley home turf. “It’s been a lot of work to get here. A […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
BLM will move 27 jobs from Washington to Grand Junction, 54 more to Lakewood as part of HQ relocation
The Bureau of Land Management’s planned headquarters relocation to Grand Junction will net the city 27 jobs, federal officials said on Tuesday, with 54 more positions heading to the Federal Center in Lakewood as part of the public lands agency’s realignment to the West. That’s far fewer jobs than some were expecting to head to […]
Posted inNews, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Bureau of Land Management more likely to relocate to Denver than Grand Junction, Polis says
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis says the Bureau of Land Management is more likely to relocate its headquarters to Denver than Grand Junction, even though his administration is more supportive of the federal agency moving to the Western Slope. Either way, the Democrat said he’s “cautiously optimistic” Colorado will win the bidding war with other Western […]
Posted inBusiness, Growth, News
Investment in opportunity zones (tax incentives and all) is still scarce in Colorado
Last year, Kristin Lawrence was on the hunt for a place to give her pop-up science experiences a real home. She found it in Boulder, smack dab in the middle of what would soon be designated an Opportunity Zone. “I didn’t even know what Opportunity Zones were at the time,” said Lawrence, founder of The […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Outdoors, The Outsider
Aspen stakes claim as the premier human-powered playground as skiers ditch lifts and traffic to walk uphill
“Alpine skiers are getting bored,” said Erik Lambert, a businessman searching for a mountain to anchor an all-uphill resort. “They are sick of crowds. They are sick of traffic. I think people are ready for a cultural shift.”