Naomi Shepherd-Smith recalls a time when the fledgling Colorado wine industry was something of a novelty and some tourists were more interested in taking home a bottle with a Colorado label than drinking what was inside. But like the fine wines its produces, the industry since has matured, says Shepherd-Smith, manager and co-owner of Grande […]
Last year was nothing to write home about for the home building industry in the Grand Valley, but it looks good compared to this year. “The recovery is being delayed,” says Annette Miller, who, as senior vice president of Heritage Title Co. in Grand Junction tracks the real estate industry. “I see it being pushed […]
With the cost of home building joined at the hip with the cost of materials, July offered more opportunity in the form of slightly lower prices for construction materials. Overall, prices were 0.2 percent lower in July than they were in June, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Still, prices aren’t […]
Energy conservation and use of renewable energy are ongoing trends in home building and remodeling. Under current law, the window of opportunity remains open for claiming tax credits in connection with new construction. The window for remodeling current homes is closing, however, with the credits due to expire at the end of December. The federal […]
The numbers tell the story: On a given day, 1,800 job applicants chase 12 to 18 job openings — a ratio of 109 applicants for each job. That leaves people considering alternate careers, many as they approach the final decade of their working lives. Such is the scenario for construction workers in the Grand Valley. […]
A year after Zeck Homes went out of business in the midst of the Great Recession, one of the former owners has teamed with another developer to form a company planning a 20-unit housing project near the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction. Matrix Communities plans a mix of single-family attached homes priced […]
A Western Colorado mountain bike organization is among the finalists for a $250,000 grant to help fund the construction of three bike parks. Online voting to determine the winner in the Pepsi Refresh America campaign will continue through Aug. 31 at the Web site located at www.refresheverything.com/bikeparks. It’s also possible to vote by cell phone by […]
A workshop on agritourism is scheduled for Sept. 11 in Grand Junction. The full-day workshop is planned for the Mesa County Fairgrounds. The registration fee is $25 per person, which includes lunch and resource materials. The registration deadline is Sept. 7. The workshop will feature sessions on liability, identifying markets, managing risk, community and regulatory […]
Construction is under way on an addition to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Junction. The 31,000 square-foot surgical facility will be built on top of an existing two-story clinic and tie into the third floor of the seven-floor inpatient tower at the center. The $11 million project is scheduled for completion in July. […]
It’s no secret energy companies have a big effect on the Western Colorado economy. An energy boom in the Piceance Basin that extended through the fourth quarter of 2008 helped delay the effects of the Great Recession that hit the nation in 2007. And when the number of natural gas drill rigs dropped by 70 […]