A move is underway to restore the oldest water treatment facility in Grand Junction, completed in the summer of 1939 partly with a combination of funds from the New Deal’s Public Works Administration and city revenue bonds.
The restoration of the facility, distinguished by its Art Deco design features, is expected to cost around $200,000 to complete. In response, the City of Grand Junction is now in the process of applying for $150,000 in support from the Colorado State Historical Fund.
That fund, supported by gaming tax revenue, has to date supported historic building renovation efforts in all 64 counties of the Centennial State, with a total dollar value of nearly $316 million.
According to city documents, the two-story brick and concrete plant features a large steel casement window above the entry doors and 12-panel steel windows on the second floor. The building also features large interior steel doors.
Plans to restore the water treatment plant, which was decommissioned in 1969, are expected to be the subject of public input meetings in Grant Junction in the next several weeks.
It is thought that restoration of the plant could lead to its reuse as a water museum and education center. In a statement, Troy Reynolds, chairman of the city’s Historic Preservation Board, said the restored plant will provide an opportunity for future generations in the city to “understand and appreciate the early challenges of delivering clean water to the community.”
By Garry Boulard
