The City of Grand Junction is excited to announce the award of a $400,000 Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant to enhance and expand public improvements planned for Dos Rios. These funds will provide for a more extensive splash park and an in-depth revitalization of the riverfront, including supporting the construction of the beach area. The destination playground will also round out the public improvements for this emerging hub of the community.
Mayor Anna Stout, who presented the project to the DOLA board alongside Parks and Recreation Director Ken Sherbenou, stated, “Dos Rios is a great example of the type of transformation we are seeing across our community that is driven by the city and its private partners. We are grateful for DOLA’s strong support of this public amenity that further leverages investments the City has already made at Dos Rios and the larger riverfront revitalization.”
The Riverfront at Dos Rios is a 40-acre mixed-use development that consists of 15.8 acres of parks and open space, 9.5 acres of light industrial/commercial, and 10.2 acres of mixed-use development. The City of Grand Junction saw this as an area for contemporary development with access to the river, trail system, greenspace, and downtown. With the Bike Playground installed and the horizontal infrastructure in place, including streets, curb, gutter sidewalk, and utilities, the site is ready for vertical development on the private side. This area has undergone a dramatic transformation since the early 1990s.
Mayor Stout reflected on that transformation during the presentation to DOLA. “I grew up on Orchard Mesa and we drove across that junkyard every time we came into town. We plugged our noses when we crossed the 5th Street Bridge because of the rendering plant and we knew, even as children, that the river divided the “good Grand Junction” from where we lived. I am thrilled now that this is the site that unites and welcomes our whole community,” Stout said.
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Contact: Sara Spaulding, Communications & Engagement Director | 970-244-1507 or saras@gjcity.org