By Sue Springer

I’ve never been big on marching or protesting. The negative signs make me a little uncomfortable. Maybe I was too busy working and being a wife and mother or never felt I had a cause that motivated me enough. But that all changed when I started attending the meetings regarding the Grand Junction Community Center initiative.

I participated in the survey and gave input to what I thought a community center should include, then I listened to the results of the feasibility study. I finally had my cause.

Grand Junction has contemplated a community center since 2001. In that time, we have been surpassed by smaller cities like Fruita, Montrose and Delta. Residents and visitors to those towns are enjoying the social and health benefits while we have remained at the drawing board, kicking the can down the road.

Now it’s time! There are many reasons to support this effort, and the benefits are worth the investment.

Our community’s seniors and other residents were disheartened when St. Mary’s Life Center became unavailable to them several years ago. Some were able to join local gyms, but others felt disconnected. A new community center could fill that void since part of the proposal includes a therapy pool.

As a grandparent, I look forward to another fun place to spend time with my grandsons. Not only could we enjoy the pool, but also the proposed basketball courts, horizontal climbing wall, tennis and pickleball courts, skate park, open fields and playground.

Last year, one of my doctors retired and I had a difficult time finding a new one. My friends and I shared the frustration that Grand Junction has challenges of attracting doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs and other professionals. Realtor friends tell me these families look for a community center because they are moving from cities that have them and they understand their significance.

As part of the volunteer committee, I’ve gone door to door canvassing people about what they think. Young families love the idea of a center for the whole family. They realize there is opportunity for their family to be active together.

I’m impressed by the passion and dedication of the people organizing the campaign and my fellow citizens who volunteer to help them. This is truly a grassroots effort with ordinary people coming together to make a change that will benefit us all.

I call Grand Junction home because of the vast lifestyle options. Who among us doesn’t want our community to be a better place today and for future generations? A community center in Grand Junction can only strengthen our connections and bring us together.

 

City residents voting yes on Measure 2C support the following:

• A 98,000 sq. ft. community center located at Matchett Park, that includes a warm-water, lap and leisure pools; two pool party rooms; a three-court gymnasium; two racquetball courts; an indoor walking track; three multi-purpose meeting rooms; gathering spaces; a bouldering wall; fitness areas; child supervision services; tenant lease space.
• 75 acres of park development at Matchett including: seven multi-purpose fields, walking paths, a plaza, playgrounds, restrooms/shelters, four basketball courts, 12 pickleball courts, eight tennis courts, a pond and a skatepark.
• Renovation of the existing Orchard Mesa pool, gymnasium and adjoining facilities. Additions include a new social zone with snack bar, family dressing areas, two multipurpose rooms, a pool party room and a new spa.
• A 0.39% (39 cents for every $100 spent) city sales tax increase to fund the community center, park development and Orchard Mesa renovation/expansion. The tax would not apply to unprepared food, gas, prescriptions or services. The average household in Grand Junction would pay approximately $4.39 per month, which will cover the cost of construction and ongoing operations and maintenance.