The Four Corners Monument park — the tribal park best known as the only place in the United States where four states converge at one point — is getting a face lift.
The renovation will include basic amenities such as electricity, restrooms and potable water, as well as a new central plaza for the interpretive center that displays cultural materials of the Navajo Nation and Ute Mountain tribes.
The improvements culminate a 12-year effort by the two tribes, along with the Four Corners Heritage Council and a host of federal, local and state agencies from Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Funding comes from the tribes, the four states and 50 percent federal matching funds.
"This center will educate visitors to the rich culture and history of the Four Corners region, but I also believe it will provide an opportunity for the Indian nations to benefit more from the visitation the area attracts," Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch said in 1999, when the Senate approved a bill to create the federal visitors center.
An official ground-breaking ceremony is set for Friday at 11 a.m. The public is invited, and lunch will be served. The project, scheduled for completion by the end of December 2005, will be phased to accommodate continuous visitation.