With voter approval of the April 4 ballot measure to build a new Community Recreation Center (CRC), the City of Grand Junction will begin the collection of 0.14 percent in sales tax on July 1, 2023, in order to help fund the construction of the new city facility.
The voter-approved sales and use tax increase from 3.25 percent to 3.39 percent is an increase of 0.14 percent on purchases made in the City of Grand Junction. Per the voter-approved ballot language, the increased sales tax can only be used to support the new recreation center planned at Matchett Park.
The city currently has more than 5,800 businesses that are licensed to collect sales tax on behalf of the city when they make taxable sales inside city limits. Common transactions that are subject to sales tax include eating at restaurants and buying clothing, furniture, sporting goods, home improvement supplies, and electronics. Transactions that are not subject to sales tax include grocery food items, residential utilities, cigarettes, and gasoline.
Along with the new 0.14 percent sales tax dedicated to the CRC, financing of the facility will include the sale of bonds to create approximately $70,000,000 to construct the CRC. The city is also pursuing grants to support the facility described in the 2022 CRC Plan.
To fully design the facility, the city has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional architectural and engineering services. The contract with the recommended architect and engineer group is anticipated to be considered for approval by City Council within the next month.
A separate RFP will be issued for the selection of a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC). The CMGC will provide pre-construction services during the design process to ensure the project stays on budget. The contract for the recommended CMGC is anticipated to come to City Council for consideration and approval within the next two to three months.
Once an architect and engineer group is selected, the full design of the new CRC is projected to take approximately 12 months, followed by another 18 months for construction with the grand opening anticipated by the end of 2025.