Have you seen the houses behind the fence at 12th and Wellington in Grand Junction? Probably not... they aren't there anymore.  What's going on?

The area have been fenced off since March of this year. Several houses found themselves behind temporary fencing and "No Trespassing" signs on 12th Street just south of City Market. A City of Grand Junction "Land Development Application Pending" sign was posted.

12th and Wellington Grand Junction 4
Waylon Jordan
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12th and Wellington Grand Junction 3
Waylon Jordan
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I placed a call to the City of Grand Junction last March. They informed me an apartment complex, specifically the "Levande on 12th Apartments" were planned for the area. When I called again today (October 19) I was informed the applications had been withdrawn.

According to the representative on the phone, the only application submitted was a demolition permit. At this time, the site has "no planning clearance." In any event, those houses are now long gone.

12 Street Construction 2
Waylon Jordan
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Why do I care? I own rental properties in this area. Why? Because I'm stupid. My family has a few apartment buildings nearby. They're stupid, too. Nevertheless, this is a high-income area. It doesn't hurt having a University directly across the street.

Take a moment to think about how many things have changed in this area in the last few years. Not long ago the site of City Market and Costa Vida was nothing more than a dirt lot with trees. There's a new ANB Bank going up right on the corner. As a matter of fact, I stopped by the existing ANB Bank directly across the street, and customers were busy emptying their safe deposit boxes. It seems customers were notified the bank is about to make its move to the new location, and contents of safety deposit boxes needed to be relocated.

Things change, I guess. I'll be keeping an eye on this lot at 12th and Wellington. It could remain a dirt lot for the next century. Then again, CMU might feel the need to take it over. Looking at the recent history of that block, anything could happen.

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