The City of Grand Junction has scheduled a public forum to discuss the Orchard Mesa recreational facility on Tuesday, August 15 from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Barn at 910 N. 12th Street. This forum will allow community members to review options for the Orchard Mesa recreational facility, as well as data collected from the previous forum relating to the current pool facility. In addition to attending the event, community members can provide input online at EngageGJ.org.
Following the public meeting in August, the final plan will be presented to City Council this fall for their consideration to determine the city’s position regarding the facility. As one of three partners, and as the operator, the city took the lead to evaluate options for the long-term resolution of this aging facility. The final decision regarding the future of the facility will be made by Mesa County School District #51, as the owner of the facility.
Orchard Mesa Pool was built in 1983 as a partnership between Mesa County School District 51, Mesa County, and the City of Grand Junction. District 51 owns the land and the building and pays the utilities. The city operates the facility, and the city and the county split the annual subsidy required to run the facility. While maintenance has been conducted on a regular basis since 1983, all the mechanical, pool, and building systems are at the end of their useful life and the facility requires a full renovation.
Recommendations for the Orchard Mesa facility may range from a basic renovation to modernizing the facility, to repurposing the facility for other indoor recreation uses such as creating indoor turf field space for sports like soccer, lacrosse, and baseball, as well as other possibilities.
For questions regarding city programming, services, or facilities, call Grand Junction Parks and Recreation at 970-254-3866, visit gjcity.org, or email gjparksandrec@gjcity.org.