Jessica Stago, CEO of the non-profit Little Colorado Development Corporation, made a presentation on a proposed Diñe Cultural and Commerce Center to the Winslow City Council June 27. The facility would be located at the east end of Winslow, north of the freeway off of the Transcon Lane exit.
In October 2016, the Navajo Nation was awarded a $160,000 Rural Business Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant was used to cover costs of engineering the space, building the conceptual plan and ongoing small business training on 33.5 acres of commercially zoned property owned by the Navajo Nation.
Once complete, the center will have retail space, restaurants, a miniature golf course, a 126-room hotel and shared office space. Also proposed is an outdoor event center, which will be rodeo ready, and host livestock shows and pow-wows. In addition, there will be many cultural draws at the center.
“We want to provide accurate information about the Navajo and Hopi Relocation Act, and provide a Native American perspective on the history of this area,” said Stago. Museums, artist space, traditional housing and a guided walking tour will be included. A medical services complex will also be located on the property, focusing on more than just clinical services. Stago mentioned the health benefits to the community of a farmers market, gym, senior living care, day care, walking trails and agricultural gardens.
The plan, according to Stago, is to not only bring tourists to Winslow, but also to educate visitors to the center of the Navajo and Hopi histories in the area.
“We want I-40 travelers to make Winslow their destination and offer an experience that is different from other Route 66 towns,” Stago said.
The next phase of this project is finding developers and financing. It is projected to be a $20 million to $30 million project, with groundbreaking possibly taking place in the next six months. The group hopes to have strong development commitments before the end of the year.
Stago will present the proposal to the Northern Arizona Council of Governments in the next few weeks, and more details will be available as the plan moves forward.
