Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

With nearly $1.7 million in taxpayer-funded incentives already funneled into the broader agreement between the City of Grand Junction and Bonsai Design – and zero operation of the zip line since mid-2024 – the city faces a pivotal choice. The original agreement explicitly grants the city the option to purchase the zip-line infrastructure at market value if operations cease for more than a year. 

In response to questions raised in The Business Times article “Owner of Zip Line Got $1.7M in Incentives — and the Taxpayers Got Zip,” Grand Junction City Manager Mike Bennett made it clear on July 22 that he isn’t recommending the city move forward with that option or any kind of financial rescue.

Bennett’s official statement, released by the city, is: 

“The City has asked Riverfront Zip Adventures to provide additional financial information regarding the zip line, so we can determine whether their continued operation is fiscally reasonable. While they’ve been open about their challenges, we need more information to make an assessment. Based on what they’ve shared in those conversations, and given the constraints of the 2026 budget and the need to prioritize core services like fire and police staffing, I would not recommend a purchase or subsidy to Council.”

Grand Junction Mayor Cody Kennedy echoed that position, saying he does not believe purchasing the zip line is the right decision for the city.

The zip line, operated by Riverfront Zip Adventures and developed by Bonsai Design, was once promoted as a signature attraction in the city’s broader effort to transform Las Colonias Park into a regional destination. However, the attraction has not operated since partway through 2024. 

The Business Times found after reviewing the contract obligations that the obligations do not describe Bonsai Designs or owner Thaddeus Schrader as being contracted to develop the park.

Rather, the obligations include: employing at least 36 full-time employees in Grand Junction throughout the vesting period of five years at an average wage of at least $41,145 per year; recruiting outdoor companies to move into the park; and constructing and operating the zip line, valued at a retail construction cost of no less than $600,000, with a clause that allows for the city to purchase the zip line if the zip line is not in operation for more than one year.

A new focus in the strategic plan

City Council just wrapped work on its updated Strategic Plan, where members emphasized directing resources toward core services as sales-tax revenues soften. 

Kennedy has publicly urged the community to focus on essentials – police, fire, streets and other basic services – in light of the decline. Read more in our recent article, “City Sales Tax Revenue Declines; Mayor Urges Focus on Core Services,” online at thebusinesstimes.com.

We’ll Keep Watching

The Business Times will continue to follow the status of the Riverfront zip line and report any new information.