Moab, Utah and the Tourist based building boom
Grand Junction, Colorado gains a huge benefit from the surrounding scenic sights that attract the tourist trade. The Canyonland area centering around Moab, Utah is just one compass area of our rich recreationand scenic resources.
Unlike most of the nation; Moab, Utah is in the midst of a commercial building boom. Five new construction projects — a regional hospital, two new school buildings, a community center and a new bridge – will benefit the residents here, and ultimately the significant tourist traffic.
Moab has a population of some 5,000 residents and estimates about one million visitors each year ogle its dramatic vistas, partake in a plethora of recreational activities. Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, and Dead Horse Point are in the backyard. Many other scenic wonders are close by. This makes Moab a center for tourists to congregate for any number of day trips.
It’s mostly by chance that the town’s capital-improvement projects are springing up simultaneously. Most of the five capital projects are run and funded by separate entities. Taken together though, and the sum is indicative of a resurgent and stable tourist trade and town.
Voters in 2008 passed a $31 million bond issue for Grand County School District to build a new elementary school and a vocational school. Project one is the 120,000-square-foot Helen M. Knight Elementary School, with 35 classrooms. It will replace two elementary schools. District officials determined they could save $7 million by combining two schools. The bond measure specified that any excess money after construction costs go toward remodeling the middle school. A current savings of $500,000, because of lower costs will go toward that project. Construction is slated for completion in July.
Officials and residents were thrilled to see ground broken last August for the Moab Regional Hospital and Canyonlands Care Center. The not-for-profit Allen Memorial Hospital has been recognized as long needing replacement of the 53-year-old, outdated facility. The 52,000-square-foot facility will be licensed as a 17-bed, critical-access hospital and operated by Moab Valley Health Care. It is scheduled to be finished by December.
Colorado River runners under the bridge have been good about steering clear of construction, and motorists have been patient. Financial effect on local commercial business has been minimal.
Officials worked for three years to come up with grant money to secure funding for the new Moab Recreation and Aquatic Center.
The town of Moab doesn’t have a property tax. This makes funding harder to come by for capital improvements. It does collect taxes through tourist-based activities. Costs for the center with an indoor-outdoor pool are $9 million and probably would cost more if construction costs weren’t hampered by the economy. The project is expected to be completed in spring 2011. Town leaders easily recognized that if an entity has the funds, now is the perfect time to build for the future.
Colorado River Bridge, connecting U.S. Highway 191 over the river, is slated for completion at the end of the year, which is a year earlier than previously planned. Aesthetic designs on the bridge were developed with the help of community members. Once completed, the swooping design should fit well with the redrock backdrops. Project workers were especially cognizant of the bridge’s link between Moab and its most famed attraction, Arches National Park.
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Posted: March 2nd, 2010 under Grand Junction Sentinel.
Tags: Arches National Park, Book Cliffs, canyonlands national park, capitol reef national recreation area, colorado river, Colorado's western slope, dead horse point, Grand Junction, Grand Valley, Moab, Utah
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