By: Selena Sanchez | Director of Marketing & Communications, GJEP

Originally published in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (July 21, 2024)

What do you think of when you think about Clifton? For me, I think about my childhood and teen years. I can still remember the details of our neighborhood and the small townhome shared by my sister, my mom, and me. I remember a handful of our neighbors too—multi-generational families, single parents like my mom, elderly neighbors, and the young couple who lived next door.

I have many good memories of our home there. My mom worked hard and truly made our house a place where we could be ourselves. But if I’m honest, we didn’t love living in Clifton.

On the outskirts of Grand Junction, the unincorporated community has historically had limited amenities, opportunities, and things for families to do in the Clifton area. It’s been an area that has had its challenges.

According to the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment released through Mesa County Public Health, Clifton has the second largest population in the county, next to Grand Junction, accounting for 13% of Mesa County’s total population. The area contains a high concentration of households with children, with about a third being female single parent households and the highest concentration of Hispanic or Latino residents.

Clifton has the lowest median household income, coming in at 20% less than the county median, the smallest share of adults with bachelor’s degree attainment. Additionally, Clifton also has the highest housing cost burden of the communities within Mesa County, with 39% of residents paying 30% or more of their household’s income towards rent.

As needs have been identified, Mesa County and several community partners have embarked on initiatives to support the Clifton area.  Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Grand Opening of the Clifton Community Campus, hearing from local leaders, and touring the new facility. Located at 3270 D ½ Rd, the campus is now home to the Clifton Community Center, Childcare Center, Early Childhood Education Center and Training Hub, and the Clifton Library Branch. The facility will also offer a mobile learning lab, educational opportunities, and summer camps through CMU Tech, allowing students to explore hands-on career opportunities.

Against the backdrop of Mt. Garfield, the state-of-the-art facility built by FCI Constructors, stands as a testament to what is possible when our public and private sectors and community leaders come together in partnership. Touring the facility, it was not difficult to imagine families gathering on the grass during Wednesday night Farmers Markets, children playing and exploring throughout the campus, and early childhood professionals working to serve our community as the facility helps alleviate local shortages in childcare, adding 206 additional childcare slots.

Looking around at everyone in attendance, hearing the excited commentary on aspects of the building, and seeing students proudly wearing shirts identifying them as Clifton Community Leaders, I realized that it was the first time Clifton truly felt like a community to me.

Throughout Mesa County, we are experiencing positive momentum, and it’s clear we are entering the next stage of economic development for the entire region. Surrounding communities in Mesa County continue to make national lists for best places to live and attract new investment. Areas like Clifton and pockets of our community that have been historically at a disadvantage cannot get left behind.  The Clifton area is ready for new energy and the newly built Clifton Community Campus is the catalyst for its revitalization.

So, what do you think about when you think of Clifton? We challenge you to think of the possibilities. Clifton is an emerging community that is ready to welcome new economic activity. From a commercial real estate perspective, Clifton is ripe with opportunities, not only for restaurant and retail but also for light industrial and manufacturing. Businesses like CalFrac, Central Distributing, and FCI Constructors have seen sustained success by investing in the Clifton area.  What factors went into their decision to locate in Clifton?  A few attributes that may have been considered include:

• Clifton offers more affordable commercial and residential real estate, which can lower the cost of starting and operating a business.
• Clifton is located along major highways, including Interstate 70, facilitating easy transportation and logistics.
• The Clifton economic landscape is diverse, with sectors such as agriculture, energy, healthcare, and tourism playing significant roles. This diversity can provide stability and opportunities for cross-sector partnerships.

These are a few factors that combine to create an environment conducive to economic growth and business development, making Clifton a promising location for entrepreneurs and investors.

At its heart, economic development is about uplifting the economic base of a community to build a better quality of life. It’s about creating opportunities for our youth and emerging workforce to see that anything is possible. It’s about shifting the landscape into one that is welcoming and promotes health and wellbeing. The new Clifton Community Campus embodies each of these and sets the precedent for what is possible in the Clifton area.

At the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, our mission is to enhance the economic vitality of Mesa County through supporting business relocation and expansion, encouraging capital investment, job creation, and economic diversification. Highlighting ways that we, as a community, can support the revitalization and reimagination of the Clifton area and communities throughout Mesa County underscores this mission.

To explore available opportunities for business development in Mesa County, including Clifton, please get in touch with us by visiting www.gjep.org/contact-us.