Historically, North Avenue was the northernmost boundary of
Grand Junction. As development continued to grow to the north, the
North Avenue corridor now finds itself in the City Center area of
Grand Junction, in proximity to many great assets and amenities such
as Stocker Stadium and Lincoln Park, Colorado Mesa University (previously
known as Mesa State College) and a wide range of community services,
hospitals, and easy access to downtown.
Until the 1990s, North Avenue was the primary retail tax generator
for the City of Grand Junction. However, over the last few years the
area has experienced a dramatic loss in revenue in great part associated
with the extensive development of new and large commercial and retail
centers along the western edge of the City. With business pulled to
these new commercial centers, North Avenue has an opportunity to reestablish
itself by creating a unique community environment where people will
come back to again and again.
Rather than mimic the developments occurring on the western
edge, the North Avenue Corridor can reclaim its identity by promoting
developments that combine retail, office, residential and civic components
to establish a distinctive and thriving sense of place and character.
This will provide, as supplement to downtown, a historically rich
active neighborhood with a focus on educational opportunities, employment,
entertainment and mixed use.
The Planning Area runs from I-70 Business Loop on the west to
12th Street on the east. It includes one or more blocks north and
south of North Avenue for the northern and southern boundaries (see
map below).
In 2007, the City of Grand Junction completed and adopted “The
North Avenue Corridor Plan,” a corridor plan for the North Avenue
area east of 12th Street to I-70 Business Loop. The North Avenue West
Corridor Plan for that area west of 12th Street continues the planning
effort for North Avenue. This plan incorporates many of the 2007 North
Avenue Corridor Plan elements, while acknowledging and enhancing the
unique features of the west end of North Avenue such as its proximity
to Colorado Mesa University, the historic downtown neighborhood and
the Sherwood Park neighborhood, an early suburban growth area of the
city. Both plans look far into the future, over the next 25 years,
the time horizon established by the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
In all long range planning, the collective ideas of many people
will launch the community into the future in a way that will be meaningful
and successful. The vision, guiding principles, and the street cross-section
were shaped through public participation. Key elements of the process
included public questionnaires, open houses, focus groups, a technical
advisory committee and an online survey taken by over 350 people.
(Ord. 4486, 11-2-11)