In January of this year, the City of Grand Junction entered into a contract with Pinnacle Venue Services (PVS) to manage Two Rivers Convention Center (TRCC) and Avalon Theatre.  Since that time PVS has been providing full management and operational services of the 23,000 square foot multipurpose convention center in addition to the 1,100 seat historic Avalon Theatre, which hosts a multitude of events including concerts, theatrical performances, movies, variety shows and private functions. This spring, PVS also signed an addendum to the contract with the City to include the management of live, ticketed events at the new Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park.

June 30 marked the 6-month milestone of this contractual arrangement and the results so far have been positive.

City Manager Greg Caton noted, “We are extremely pleased with the progress we have been seeing with Pinnacle. They have exhibited creativity and good business sense and have really brought some great industry knowledge to bear. Things are definitely moving in the direction we anticipated and we are optimistic that we will continue to see improvement.”

“We came in with a strong plan and a solid vision for the venues, and we are starting to see results,” said Pinnacle Venue Services’ Maria Rainsdon, General Manager of the Two Rivers Convention Center, Avalon Theatre and Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park. “Grand Junction is a strong and vibrant community, and that has added to our success. We still have several impactful projects and programs to implement, so that will be our focus for the coming months.”

Notable results at the 6-month milestone include:

• Strong sales activity resulted in the booking of two new large industry summits and over 30 other bookings of various events and conferences.

• Positive net revenue through May of over $75,000, which compares to a net loss of over $158,000 for the same time period in 2016. Net food and beverage revenues reflected $96,000 more than the same period in 2016, contributing to a $233,000 turnaround in revenue. 
• New social media/communication tools have been implemented to reach a larger audience.

• PVS worked with City staff to evaluate the TRCC building both in terms of system repair/replacement as well as efficiencies and expansion. They also implemented several preventive maintenance programs aimed at reducing long-term costs while also mitigating emergency repairs.

• The successful ‘Dinner and a Movie’ concept was expanded to include shopping as well. ‘Dinner, Shopping and a Movie’ encourages movie goers at the Avalon to shop downtown before attending a movie in order to obtain free movie tickets. The program saw $131,000 in total receipts for downtown restaurants in 2016, and is already on course to exceed that in 2017 with receipts of over $80,000 so far this year.

• PVS staff created a number of new events that have been well received including an Easter brunch at TRCC, a post-music festival rooftop party at the Avalon, a post-Farmers’ Market rooftop music event, and the “Cinema Soiree” movie screening and rooftop party in conjunction with the Colorado West Pride Festival.

• PVS staff created new protocols, facility rules, security rules, parking procedures, emergency plans, and signage for the Amphitheater to assist with the efficient operation of the facility.

The next status report is anticipated following one full year of the contractual arrangement.

Contacts:  Sam Rainguet, City Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org

Maria Rainsdon, General Manager Two Rivers Convention Center, Avalon Theatre and Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park    970-263-5710  or mrainsdon@grandjunctionevents.com             

City of Grand Junction Projects with Travel Restrictions    

Riverside Parkway Resurfacing Project (Night work:  6pm to 7am, Sunday – Thursday)

Asphalt milling at the following locations:

— 24 Road from south of Patterson Road to Leland Avenue
— The I-70B northbound on/off ramps at the Redlands Parkway
— West Avenue from Riverside Parkway to Hwy 340
— Hwy 340 on ramp to Riverside Parkway
— 5^th Street and Hwy 50 on/off ramps at the Riverside Parkway

• Flaggers will be on site to assist motorists
• Expect delays.

Contract Street Overlay and Chip Seal Project (Daylight Hours)

Adjusting manholes to grade at the following locations:

— 9^th Street from 1^st Avenue to Ute Avenue
— 4^th Street from Grand Avenue to North Avenue
— 12^th Street from Ute Avenue to Gunnison Avenue

•  Flaggers will be on site to assist motorists
•  Expect delays.

 

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Non-City of Grand Junction Projects with Travel Restrictions

I-70 Beavertail Tunnel Lighting Project (east of Palisade) – CDOT Project

• Speed limit reduction throughout construction zone is set at 35 mph
• Eastbound I-70 traffic will be detoured onto service road 24/7. No vehicle parking or bicycling on the service road.
• Westbound traffic will detour through the eastbound tunnel 24/7
• Both west and eastbound traffic can expect single-lane closures
• Project hours will be weekdays 7am – 5pm
• For more information, please call (970) 456-1481
• Anticipated completion – November 2017.

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org                            

 

On August 16, 2017, City Council unanimously adopted the City of Grand Junction Strategic Plan. The document, which was many months in the making, will serve as a guide for the City Council and City staff over the course of the next two years.

The Plan is based on two guiding principles: Partnership & Intergovernmental Relationships and Fiscal Responsibility.

The guiding principles lead to the four Strategic Directives of the Plan:

• Public Safety
• Planning & Infrastructure
• Diversification of our Economic Base
• Communication, Outreach & Engagement

Mayor Rick Taggart noted, “The City has been without a strategic plan for some time so this is a significant step forward for the entire organization. It will provide us a foundational road map for the next two years. I am very pleased with the collective work that went into this and I look forward to using it as a tool in our decision making and policy implementation.”

Each of the strategic directives is accompanied by a number of key initiatives, which involve specific actions, programs and ideas designed to bring about the realization of the strategic directives. The complete plan can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2wiYdOs

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org

Grand Junction Parks and Recreation is hosting the 17^th Annual Western Colorado Senior Games, August 21-27, 2017. This week long athletic competition is open to participants aged 50+ and has 57 events with a regional draw of more than 230 participants. Cornhole is the newly added event this year. The media is invited to any of the following events:

For more information or questions, please contact:
Lorie Gregor, Recreation Coordinator
970-254-3876
lorieg@gjcity.org

Grand Junction City Manager Greg Caton is hosting a series of informal coffees to interact with community members, gather feedback on City programs and services, and to answer questions.

The next coffee is scheduled for Monday, August 21 at Kiln Coffee Bar, 326 Main Street, at 3:00 p.m.  He will be joined by City Councilmember Chris Kennedy.

The sessions are open to the public and are an unstructured, drop-in format.

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org

The Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture has released their economic impact study of arts and culture in the City of Grand Junction, referred to as the Arts and Economic Prosperity 5. The Art Commission partnered with Americans for the Arts to document the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in 341 communities and regions (113 cities, 115 counties, 81 multi-city or multi-county regions, 20 states, and 12 individual arts districts)—representing all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 provides evidence that the nonprofit arts and culture sector is a significant industry in the City of Grand Junction—one that generates $17.3 million in total economic activity. This spending—$11.3 million by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and an additional $6 million in event-related spending by their audiences—supports 512 full-time equivalent jobs, generates $12.9 million in household income to local residents, and delivers $1.4 million in local and state government revenue. This economic impact study sends a strong signal that when we support the arts, we not only enhance our quality of life, but we also invest in the City of Grand Junction’s economic well-being.

To complete this study, The Art Commission gathered 1551 audience-intercept surveys from arts and cultural audience members attending a performance, event or exhibit within the City of Grand Junction during calendar year 2016. Nonresident attendees spent an average of 294 percent more per person than local attendees ($72.12 vs. $18.29) as a result of their attendance to cultural events. As would be expected from a traveler, higher spending was typically found in the categories of lodging, meals, and transportation. When a community attracts cultural tourists, it harnesses significant economic rewards.

Each of the nonresident survey respondents (i.e., those who live outside Mesa County) were asked about the purpose of their trip: 54.7 percent indicated that the primary purpose of their visit to the City of Grand Junction was “specifically to attend this arts/cultural event.” This finding demonstrates the power of the arts to attract visitors to the community.

Also contributing were 32 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in the City of Grand Junction, that provided detailed financial and event attendance information about their organization.

During 2015, a total of 1,980 volunteers donated a total of 99,417 hours to the City of Grand Junction’s participating nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. This represents a donation of time with an estimated aggregate value of $2,342,265.

Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are businesses in their own right. They spent $11.3 million during fiscal year 2015 to employ people locally, purchase goods and services from local establishments, and attract tourists. They also leveraged a remarkable $6 million in additional spending by cultural audiences—spending that pumps vital revenue into restaurants, hotels, retail stores, parking garages, and other local businesses.

This study puts to rest a misconception that communities support arts and culture at the expense of local economic development. In fact, communities that support the arts and culture are investing in an industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, and is the cornerstone of tourism. This Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study shows conclusively that the arts mean business in the City of Grand Junction!

To access the complete report, go to www.gjcity.org.

For more information regarding the Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 please contact:
Lorie Gregor, Recreation Coordinator
lorieg@gjcity.org
970-254-3876

For more detailed information on any of these items, read the full agendas and/or staff reports here:    http://grandjunctioncityco.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx  

City Council will discuss the following items at this week’s workshop and meetings:

Monday, 8/14/17    NO WORKSHOP

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Wednesday, 8/16/17 – 6:00 p.m.    City Council Meeting   City Hall Auditorium, 250 N. 5^th Street

Consent Agenda

Resolution
3a.  Resolution Adopting the Strategic Plan

Regular Agenda

Presentations
~ Presentation of July Winner of Yard of the Month
~ 2016 Auditors Report – Ty Holman, Haynie and Company

Proclamations
Proclaiming August 13 – 19, 2017 as “National Health Center Week” in the City of Grand Junction

Public Hearing
5i.  Weeminuche Annexation, Public Rights-of-Way for Portions of 26 Road, 26 1/2 Road, H 3/4 Road and Summer Hill Way, Located North of H Road

Resolutions
6a.  A Resolution Renaming North Avenue to University Boulevard Between I-70B (on the east) to 1st Street (on the west)

6b.  Resolutions Authorizing Contract with Mesa County for Building Permitting, Inspection, and Contractor Licensing Services and Amending Building Code Fees

Contract
7a.  Contract for 28 1/2 Road Sewer and Water Line Replacement and Overlay Project

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Thursday, 8/17/17 – 3:00 p.m.    Joint Persigo Meeting with Board of County Commissioners   City Hall Auditorium, 250 N. 5^th Street

Full agenda:  http://bit.ly/2w3UXqV

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org