Escalade ‘Monster’ Killed
October 31, 2017 8:21 PM Subscribe
The proposed Escalade tourist development in Grand Canyon is defeated. The Navajo Nation Council, tonight, put an end to a years-long battle to kill a controversial proposal to build a tourist development at the confluence of the Little Colorado and Colorado rivers.
The proposed development, was to be located above the sacred confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers, including a 1.4-mile tramway that would shuttle up to 10,000 visitors a day to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It also featured an elevated walkway and amphitheater below the rim, as well as a hotel, restaurant, RV center, and other resort attractions above the rim.
The entire area is sacred to Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and other native people of the Grand Canyon region. For river runners and millions of other citizens, the development “would desecrate one of the country’s most beloved wilderness shrines.”
The proposed development, was to be located above the sacred confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers, including a 1.4-mile tramway that would shuttle up to 10,000 visitors a day to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It also featured an elevated walkway and amphitheater below the rim, as well as a hotel, restaurant, RV center, and other resort attractions above the rim.
The entire area is sacred to Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and other native people of the Grand Canyon region. For river runners and millions of other citizens, the development “would desecrate one of the country’s most beloved wilderness shrines.”
Why in the blistering green fuck would you name vehicles and property developments after the often most bloody part of siegecraft?
posted by Samizdata at 8:39 PM on October 31, 2017
posted by Samizdata at 8:39 PM on October 31, 2017
May the southwestern sun always shine for the Navajo, the Hopi, the Apache, the Tiwa, the Utes, the Paiutes. May the sweet wind blow, the corn grow tall, and your children always walk in beauty.
posted by Oyéah at 8:51 PM on October 31, 2017 [14 favorites]
posted by Oyéah at 8:51 PM on October 31, 2017 [14 favorites]
This is great news. I was unaware of this potential development until last week when I read about it in back issues of several magazines, and I'd been trying to think of what I could do.
posted by rednikki at 9:47 PM on October 31, 2017
posted by rednikki at 9:47 PM on October 31, 2017
As one of the "more than 65,000 people worldwide [who] had opposed the [development]," I am delighted. I haven't been out to that spot for far too long, but if you've ever been there, you know why every effort should be made to protect it from crass (or any kind of) development.
Now if we can only continue to defeat people like the current Secretary of the Interior, who's working hard to attack similar locations in the West like Bears Ears National Monument.
posted by LeLiLo at 10:04 PM on October 31, 2017 [9 favorites]
Now if we can only continue to defeat people like the current Secretary of the Interior, who's working hard to attack similar locations in the West like Bears Ears National Monument.
posted by LeLiLo at 10:04 PM on October 31, 2017 [9 favorites]
some (white, I'm guessing) Americans had dreamed up to make money.
FTR, the project was developed by Confluence Partners based in Scottsdale.
posted by fairmettle at 1:33 AM on November 1, 2017
FTR, the project was developed by Confluence Partners based in Scottsdale.
posted by fairmettle at 1:33 AM on November 1, 2017
Some related good news from central Australia
posted by UnoDosTresEsto at 2:52 AM on November 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by UnoDosTresEsto at 2:52 AM on November 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
YAAAAAAYYY! Score one for Native Peoples and the environment, zero for those who rape and disrespect the land.
posted by mermayd at 4:22 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mermayd at 4:22 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
fairmettle, that's an interesting note. The website for that group blathers on about their PR capabilities and their "senior-led consultancy that advises C-Suite leadership*", but doesn't mention the Escalade project or any other real-world construction work. I have to wonder who they were fronting for.
*wtf?
posted by Weftage at 5:02 AM on November 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
*wtf?
posted by Weftage at 5:02 AM on November 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
This is good. The last thing anyone should be doing to a natural wonder is turning it into an overdeveloped shithole like Niagara Falls.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:23 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 8:23 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
So I'm totally glad that the development was shit canned, it sounded tacky as fuck so it was a bad idea even before getting into native tradition, etc.
I wouldn't have such cause to complain about a simple lift that allowed more people access to the view from below, depending on where/how it is built. That said, such an amenity for the mobility impaired could only be possible at the moment if it involved some giant tourist trap since the government sure isn't going to pay for something like that in the present climate.
posted by wierdo at 8:43 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't have such cause to complain about a simple lift that allowed more people access to the view from below, depending on where/how it is built. That said, such an amenity for the mobility impaired could only be possible at the moment if it involved some giant tourist trap since the government sure isn't going to pay for something like that in the present climate.
posted by wierdo at 8:43 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Deeply relieved to see this. It was a terrible idea on so many fronts.
posted by leslies at 8:44 AM on November 1, 2017
posted by leslies at 8:44 AM on November 1, 2017
I heaved the biggest sigh of relief when I saw the news last night.
posted by palomar at 9:24 AM on November 1, 2017
posted by palomar at 9:24 AM on November 1, 2017
fairmettle, that's an interesting note. The website for that group blathers on about their PR capabilities and their "senior-led consultancy that advises C-Suite leadership*", but doesn't mention the Escalade project or any other real-world construction work. I have to wonder who they were fronting for.
I think that's a different company with the same name.
The Confluence Partners (CP) from Scottsdale do not have nearly that degree of PR polish. They have said that "The whole sacred sites claim is made up. Fabricated if you will." There's no spin, but there's plenty of insults and lies.
There are countless stories about the things they've said and done trying to push this project through, all while doing nothing of any great substance to earn anyone's trust. And when the votes were counted and the project was killed, one of CP's managing partners left the legislative chamber while flipping the bird at council delegates.
You can see photos and video from that event at Save the Confluence's Facebook page. Follow the page on Facebook to keep up with this stuff. The Escalade is a zombie project that just won't die, and I expect the proposal to come back again.
posted by compartment at 12:24 PM on November 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
I think that's a different company with the same name.
The Confluence Partners (CP) from Scottsdale do not have nearly that degree of PR polish. They have said that "The whole sacred sites claim is made up. Fabricated if you will." There's no spin, but there's plenty of insults and lies.
There are countless stories about the things they've said and done trying to push this project through, all while doing nothing of any great substance to earn anyone's trust. And when the votes were counted and the project was killed, one of CP's managing partners left the legislative chamber while flipping the bird at council delegates.
You can see photos and video from that event at Save the Confluence's Facebook page. Follow the page on Facebook to keep up with this stuff. The Escalade is a zombie project that just won't die, and I expect the proposal to come back again.
posted by compartment at 12:24 PM on November 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
« Older Underneath the beautiful green meadows of peace... | You never said anything about choreography Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by kozad at 8:37 PM on October 31, 2017 [8 favorites]