Grand Junction Regional Airport has officially opened a new covered parking area, a two-aisle section of its parking lot now offering travelers shade and protection from the weather. The structure, completed by contractors, is topped with a canopy of solar panels.

Airport officials, construction workers, and energy infrastructure companies gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to mark the opening. While the solar generators are not yet connected, Airport CEO Angela Padalecki stated they are expected to generate 100% of the terminal’s power demand once online. The electrical hook-up is tentatively scheduled for October.

The covered area includes eight handicap-accessible parking spots, 100 standard spaces, and several electric vehicle chargers. Padalecki highlighted the demand for such a feature in the Grand Valley, noting, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist. We live in Grand Junction, we know it’s very sunny and that sometimes the weather is such that we’d like our cars to be parked under a structure.”

The project came in slightly under budget, with a final price tag of approximately $7 million, compared to its planned $7.4 million. Funding for the development was secured through a federal clean energy tax credit and a low-interest loan from the Colorado Department of Transportation’s State Infrastructure Bank. CDOT Aeronautics Division Director David Ulane commented in a statement that the Colorado Division of Aeronautics was \"proud to support this valuable project.\"

Currently, parking in the new shaded area costs the same as any other space in the parking lot. However, Padalecki indicated that the airport plans to install separate parking gates for these spaces as early as January, allowing for a premium charge for the more desirable spots. She explained that this approach \"just seems fair\" and would allow the airport to generate additional parking revenue without increasing rates for other spaces.

Looking ahead, airport officials may expand the covered parking structure in the future, depending on the availability of funding and financial aid. Padalecki referred to the current structure as \"kind of a pilot program\" to assess demand, noting its location was chosen with potential expansion in mind.

The project’s completion follows years of planning and months of construction. Regional Airport Authority Board Member and Grand Junction City Council Member Cody Kennedy reflected on its origins, mentioning it began with a conversation over coffee with a community member. Kennedy called the structure an investment that, in the short term, \"is going to pay for itself\" and contribute to the airport’s infrastructure and budget. The exact timeframe for the structure to pay itself off through reduced electric bills is not yet clear, as annual utility expenses for the terminal were not immediately available.

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