In addition to providing services at the Painted Desert Oasis and Rainbow Forest Lodge, it is anticipated that the Petrified Forest National Park concessions contract will include an ice cream and refreshments shop at the beautiful Painted Desert Inn.
Petrified Forest National Park officials are looking forward to some exciting changes in the near future in both amenities and opportunities for visitors to the park.
Park Superintendent Brad Traver just announced that a bid for concessions service has gone out for the first time in at least 75 years. During that time Xanterra Parks and Resorts has provided concessions for the park, and may continue to do so if its bid is accepted, but now that opportunity is being extended to other interested parties.
“The park is expanding, so that means more time to explore the park and we want our guests to enjoy their experience,” said Traver.
The contract will be awarded to one vendor who will operate the gift shops at the Painted Desert Oasis and Rainbow Forest Lodge, as well as the restaurant at the Painted Desert Oasis.
“We’d also like to see an ice cream shop and perhaps baked goods available downstairs at the Painted Desert Inn. People come here looking for that vintage Route 66 experience and we want to provide that,” explained Traver.
As part of that experience, the park is hoping that the winning bidder will consider adding a small camping park outfitted with up to five vintage travel trailers. “This would be at the existing picnic area at Chinde Point, and that would continue to be available for picnickers, too. It would be a great way for some of our visitors to stay the night and get an early start to their day at the park,” he said.
That day may eventually include four-wheel drive tours of the Paulsell Ranch that was added to the park in 2011. Electric vehicle charging stations at both park visitor centers may also be operated by the successful concessioner over the term of the contract.
According to Traver, the existing gas fueling station and convenience store at the Painted Desert Oasis will close since a financial analysis of that business indicated that it was no longer viable.
“We won’t dictate everything that the selected bid will do, but we can dictate quite a bit,” stated Traver. “There are many exciting things happening here and we look forward to a reinvigoration of the commercial services under the new contract.”
Bids will close Oct. 9, with the successful bidder expected to enter into a 10-year contract on Jan. 1, 2016. The prospectus availability has been posted online at https://www.fbo.gov number CC-PEFO001-16.
