CANON CITY, Colo.—A proposal by two New York artists to suspend huge swaths of silvery fabric over the Arkansas River is getting the support of Colorado’s congressional delegation who are touting the project’s potential economic benefits.
Colorado’s senators and six representatives say in a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that independent researchers have estimated the project can bring almost $200 million in spending to the state’s economy. Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn’s name was not on the letter but he has previously endorsed the plan, which is in his district, about 115 miles south of Denver.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude are behind the “Over the River” project. It would put nearly six miles of translucent fabric panels suspended in eight sections above the Arkansas River between Salida and Canon City for two weeks in the summer of 2012.
Environmentalists have opposed the project, saying they’re worried about potential harm to wildlife. Local residents have also said they’re concerned about a rush of traffic in the area.
Earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management said it had chosen a third-party contractor to analyze the environmental impacts of the project. That impact statement is expected in 2011.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude are paying for the environmental impact study. The $50 million estimated cost for the project will be funded by the artists and sales of their works.
The couple erected thousands of fabric panels in New York’s Central Park in 2005.
———
Information from: The Denver Post,
