Dear Editor,

As the ceremonial shovels prepare to hit dirt for The Terminal Project (formerly the Greyhound Bus station), some real groundwork has already been laid. According to the GJ Sentinel, predevelopment — including design, entitlements and financing — is under way, with construction slated for 2025 and completion tentatively targeted for 2026–27.

But your humble correspondent has a few lingering questions:

Money, Money, Money: In 2023, the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC) awarded $3.2 million to the Grand Junction Downtown Development Authority.

Just this past Thursday, The Terminal received a $1.95 million grant from Colorado Creative Industries.

And last October, OEDIT and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority announced that The Terminal, along with two other statewide projects, would receive a combined $21 million in Prop 123 equity grants, with actual distributions TBD.

Big Question No. 1: Will taxpayers ever see a full, public accounting of how this money is actually spent? Or are we just supposed to trust the process?

The Big Vision: The Terminal sits at a key downtown entry point off U.S. 50, and it’s being pitched as a vibrant, mixed-use gateway: an urban anchor replacing a long-blighted facade (GJ Sentinel). According to the DDA, it’s expected to:

• Attract residents, businesses and creative professionals.
• Serve as a hub for the local arts scene with studios, exhibition space and co-working areas (all part of the state’s Space to Create initiative).
• Deliver on affordable workforce housing, although no rent projections have been publicly released.

We’re told it will spark economic vitality, energize foot traffic, support small business and add density to downtown.

Big Question No. 2: Where exactly are the 100-plus residents, workers and patrons supposed to park?

To date, there’s been no dedicated parking announced for the project. Will everyone just plug the meters, battle for space in the Rood Avenue garage, or pray they snag a 10-hour permit spot on Ute or Rood?

Was parking overlooked in all this “vision,” or just conveniently left out of the press releases?

What About the Rest of Us: While grant money flows freely for this bold new development, what about the existing businesses along that corridor, many of whom have weathered downtown’s ups and downs without a dime of help?

Big Question No. 3: Is any grant funding being offered to existing businesses for renovations, signage or facade improvements to match the DDA’s grand vision for revitalization?

Or will these longstanding enterprises be left behind — or worse, pushed out — like Amber Colunga Martinez and GJ Auto Sales?

Revitalization is a noble goal. But if it’s only reserved for the shiny and new at the expense of the people and businesses who built this town, then maybe it’s time to ask not just what’s in your wallet …

… but who’s spending it, and who’s being left with the bill?

Thom Copp, Grand Junction