Weâve long supported the development of the Palisade Plunge on the theory that it will draw out-of-town mountain bikers to the valley who will spend money in pursuit of an extraordinary experience.
But itâs hard to imagine that the Plunge could rival the long-term economic impact of the Colorado Parks and Wildlifeâs Cameo Shooting and Education Complex, which is already operating at a break-even point ahead of schedule â even before the facility is completely built out to lure and accommodate even more visitors.
Itâs turned out to be a brilliant project, unusually entrepreneurial for a government agency, but just what Colorado Parks and Wildlife needs to secure its own livelihood. Itâs also an economic development success story â the culmination of a vision shared by many stakeholders in the valley.
Even after last yearâs arrival of a pandemic, Colorado Parks and Wildlifeâs Cameo Shooting and Education Complex continues to exceed expectations as it grows into a world-class facility.
Itâs also looking to even bigger things to come in terms of its offerings and facilities and the types of events it can draw. This includes pursuing long-term plans for a multi-faceted visitor center and even a multipurpose banquet hall for entities interested in using Cameoâs facilities and holding conferences and other events there.
On Wednesday, the complexâs manager, Walt Proulx, provided an update on how far the facility has come and what the future may hold, in a presentation to the CPW Commission, which met in Grand Junction in a hybrid in-person/virtual event.