Something exciting is happening along the banks of the Colorado River, adjacent to downtown Grand Junction.

The riverfront has several new amenities in the 130-acre, mixed-use site that is Las Colonias Park. Once completed, Las Colonias will include a boat ramp, a zip line across the river, dog parks, a pond and a river park where kayakers and standup paddle-boarders can surf a channel of the Colorado River.

“A couple of drop structures were installed to create waves during high flows,” providing an opportunity to enjoy river activities in a slower, safer section of the river, says Grand Junction public works director Trent Prall.

“It was created for ecological reasons too, for more habitat for the endangered fish program; it’s a win-win.”

Water recreationists can also enjoy their watercrafts in the new nearby Butterfly Lake.

Grass grows in between the lake and the dog parks, creating an area where people can hang out, fly kites or frisbees or enjoy a picnic. It will also be a festival venue, with hookups for vendors located around the lawn’s perimeter.

Bonsai Design, a Grand Junction-based aerial adventure company, plans to build a zipline across the river, connecting Las Colonias to Eagle Rim Park on Orchard Mesa. Zipliners will walk across the pedestrian bridge to the launch site at Eagle Rim Park and then zip back across the river to the starting point at Las Colonias.

In 2017, Grand Junction’s Master Plan was updated to include a 15-acre business park at Las Colonias with Bonsai Design as the anchor tenant. Bonsai owners Sarah and Thad Shrader envision a business community there focused on the outdoor recreation industry — the types of companies whose employees would enjoy the proximity of outdoor recreation that the new park provides.

RockyMounts owner Bobby Noyes is relocating his bike, ski and cargo rack company from Boulder to Grand Junction to take advantage of the prime riverside property. Prall says other businesses are eager to lease space at a planned commercial retail plaza to be developed.

The Shraders are in the process of building a 20,000-square-foot facility for their new headquarters, plus a 10,000-square-foot warehouse for product assembly. Both buildings will also have space for other companies to lease.

“All the infrastructure is in place: gutters, sidewalks, lampposts and all basic utilities to each site,” says Steve Jozefczyk, deputy director for Grand Junction Economic Partnership. “It’s raw ground, available to certain design guidelines for aesthetic and appeal purposes.”

Companies interested in learning about funding opportunities for building at Las Colonias can contact Grand Junction Economic Partnership at gjep.org. In November, Grand Junction residents voted to increase lease terms for the city land from 25 to 99 years, making the property more valuable to prospective business owners.

On the western edge of the park is Las Colonias Park Amphitheater, built in 2017. The outdoor stage is host to national musical acts throughout spring, summer and fall.

In addition to the existing paved riverfront trail that wends through the area, there’s a new soft-surface path comprised of decomposed granite. Native trees and shrubs have been planted along the way. Come take a stroll down by the riverside!

Originally published in the Summer 2020 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM.

Las Colonias Park: Enhancing The Colorado Riverfront Near Downtown Grand Junction