THE CORTEZ JOURNAL
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center has been approved for an expansion project on the campus near Cortez.
The center has plans to add six housing units in a piñon-juniper forest south of the main lodge. A first-responder cabin will also be installed.
The 42-by-42-foot cabins will be used to house students, teachers, visiting scholars, and parents during the archaeology programs in the spring and fall. The cabins and other lodging will increase capacity from 143 beds to 168 beds.
Trails with dim lighting will access the new cabins, and there will be no additional parking areas added.
“We’re very excited because it will provide an upgraded experience for our guests,” said Crow Canyon president Deborah Gangloff. “The cabins are set back in a more secluded area and will be an improvement from our dormitory.”
The first phase will include four new cabins and the emergency aid building, she said. Each cabin will have three rooms and bathroom facilities, enough to house 24 students and four adults.
“It allows teachers and chaperones to have separate facilities from students,” Gangloff said.
The new housing will replace the student dormitory on the second floor of the main lodge, which will be converted into office space.
The wastewater treatment system at the campus has the capacity to handle the additional housing units. Electrical capacity will be expanded.
“We’re not sure when we will break ground,” Gangloff said. “Our hope is to have it ready for next season in March, but it depends on how our fundraising goes.”
Cost of the expansion is estimated at $1 million.
Expanded operations could increase staff from 50 to 53. The facility hosts 1,500 to 2,000 students per year.
