By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
Once celebrated as one of the top 10 main streets in the U.S., Grand Junction’s downtown now faces turmoil. Business owners, frustrated with the nearby Resource Center, are cleaning up feces and needles and dealing with fires and property damage. Many are calling for the center to be relocated.
The Resource Center opened on Dec. 11, 2023, providing food, shelter, hygiene and navigation services for the homeless. By October 2024, however, downtown business owners reported rising concerns about harassment, danger, property damage and filth.
At the Nov. 20 meeting of City Council, business owners shared their frustrations.
“We’ve put in a new, almost $20,000 camera system since this Resource Center came in,” business owner Nikki Hunn said. “We were contacted by the police for footage. There was a fire behind Dream Café in the middle of the night by one of the houseless that got out of control. And it caused significant damage to two businesses.”
Suzanne Wilcox also noted the homeless starting fires.
“I wanted to bring to your attention that the homeless issue is causing a problem,” she said. “I’ve had them build a fire between my building and Scotty’s. And I shouldn’t have to make an insurance claim if they burn us down. If you guys are going to allow them to do this, then the city should pay for this.”
Wilcox also complains of what is left behind by the homeless.
“I shouldn’t have to work outside for 45 minutes, cleaning up their camp. I should be helping customers and running my business, not pushing my job onto my daughter,” she said. “It is not OK. I shouldn’t have to be out there picking up needles and [feces] and everything else because they decide to go to the bathroom right there.”
Business owner Robbie Arnold noted the rising crime and mayhem. “Violence, assault, vandalism, drug use, drug abuse, human feces and theft — that’s what we’ve dealt with since the Resource Center came in. Now we can add arson. Shut it down.”
Following this outcry, city staff toured potential sites for relocation, but none met the required criteria.
A four-and-a-half-hour special Council meeting on Nov. 25 brought more than 40 public speakers, most advocating for the center and its services.
Nick Allen opposed closing the Resource Center, warning, “This will send more people out to the desert. It’s not meant for people to live there.” He called for “more social workers, less cops.”
Robbie Arnold called for unity in creating solutions. “I want to encourage everyone to come together and work together. Some will be upset. Others will feel their toes are stepped on. They may not agree with your view. But, we must look at this together as a community or we’ll get nowhere.”
Arnold encouraged the city to improve communication. Amid criticism for being insensitive to the homeless, he said, “We have a right to protect our homes and our businesses. We are the tax base that are going to pay for this resource to even be there.”
He added, “If we don’t work together, it won’t work at all. Our downtown will go to crap, and your Resource Center will close for lack of funds, plain and simple. So we have to work together.”
Others, like Faith Rodriguez, the executive director of United Way of Mesa County, emphasized the challenges of maintaining safety and order at the center.
“Training is really important — Narcan training, CPR, de-escalation — which they all need,” she said, also detailing personal experiences of harassment. “I was pushed down and spit on for asking people blocking the sidewalk to move.”
Bill Wade, chair emeritus of Homeward Bound, announced stricter protocols and clearer accountability. “We have a new set of rules and disciplinary policies,” he said, emphasizing the importance of addressing learned behaviors to help the unhoused achieve stability.
Police Chief Matt Smith highlighted rising crime and the strain on resources. He explained, “It’s going to cost us $128,000 annually to keep two [Citadel] security officers stationed there.”
Interim City Manager Andrea Phillips outlined the need for a balanced response, stating, “We must create actionable solutions that serve both the unhoused and business owners.” She called for addressing root causes like substance abuse and mental health issues, not just symptoms.
Council members discussed various measures, including extending the Resource Center lease, updating management policies and implementing temporary changes to improve safety and operations.
Anna Stout emphasized flexibility, saying, “We should have frequent check-ins, not just with the resource center partners, but also with our downtown community. We need to see if any of these actions are worsening the situation. And if they are, I think we need to be ready to pivot back or to make other changes and consider other options.”
Scott Beilfuss expressed frustration: “I’ve been asking for overnight solutions for years.”
When Beilfuss took the Council to task over a slow response to the crisis, Mayor Abram Herman said, “We’ve poured millions into this, but the problem persists. We need to rethink how we allocate resources.” He added, “We should prioritize clarity and a reasonable path forward.”
On buying property for homeless services versus leasing, Councilman Dennis Simpson said, “We should always consider the effect on our dwindling reserves.”
Councilman Jason Nguyen stated, “Maybe we should reopen Whitman Park. Many issues seem tied to a concentration in one area. It pushes people into downtown when there’s nowhere else to go.”
Councilman Randall Reitz urged timely progress. “I support the week-long closure for restructuring, but oppose closing it long-term. We’ve made progress finding an alternative site, and we need to follow through by spring,” he said.
Councilman Cody Kennedy said, “It hits me hard when folks raise concerns about me calling it [the Resource Center] a crack house. I get that it hurts some feelings. But I also [heard from] police officers who watched it for three days and saw 50 violations, [including] fentanyl, meth and marijuana.”
He added, “What we’re doing isn’t working, and it needs to change.”
The council voted to extend the Resource Center lease to April 15, 2025, reduce the cure period for lease violations to 14 days and pause operations for two weeks in December to implement safety measures and staff training.