In a show of support for Colorado Mesa University, the Grand Junction City Council passed a resolution renaming North Avenue “University Boulevard” Wednesday night. The informal discussion of the change began during this summer, but the vote, with five supporting, two opposed, made the decision official.
Councilors Phyllis Norris and Duncan McArthur opposed the name change.
The argument in opposition of the change dealt with the costs of doing so, an estimated $22,000 and 348 labor hours to remove the current signs and implement the new across 4.5 miles of roadway. The name of the roadway officially becomes University Boulevard on March 1, 2018.
The venture was originally submitted by CMU20000, a program launched by the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce to promote growth of the CMU student population and its community supporters to 20,000.
The new University Boulevard will stretch from I-70B to 1st Street, taking the former North Avenue’s domain.
Great article Alec. one of your other C. Writers, Natalie was able to get into the dislike the CMU students feel about the name change. I was glad to hear that CMU’s students were giving the Businesses on North a voice by sharing their honest opinion. Unbeknownst to them (CMU students), I have 3 un-fabricated, non emotionally driven costs from three North Ave businesses that estimate their very basic costs due to the name change as being in the low neighborhood of $30,000.00. When I hear from the remaining 197+ businesses the real figure will be through the roof. I was told last week by one entity that deals with 99.9% of everyone in business, that when the dust settles these figures will topple hundreds of thousands of dollars. To read a claim from the Chamber of Commerce that each business will incur between $200.00 and a $1,000.00 is just insane! Thank again!, Again good article…