Williams renews Route 66 Zipline lease for five years

View from the Route 66 Zipline

The Route 66 Zipline in Williams, Arizona, which had a cloudy future as recently as 18 months ago, was renewed for a five-year lease last month, according to the Williams News.

The final vote was 4-3, with the mayor casting the tie-breaker. Logan Checketts’ Route 66 Zipline, which takes riders over downtown Williams and the Route 66 corridor as high as 110 feet in the air, opened in the fall of 2013.

The term of the new lease is five years, with the possibility of a five-year extension. Route 66 Zipline will pay $50,000 per year with no percentage of the gross revenue going to the city. […]

Checketts said the business has received positive feedback and is doing well financially. He said the zipline has benefited the city with $145,521 in fees since 2013. The business made $148,800 in annual sales in 2013, $236,952 in 2014 and is projecting $255,000 for 2015.
“We see a positive trend going in a good direction for us,” Checketts said. “I don’t see that turning around anytime soon.”

The business faced an iffy future in early 2014 because the Historic Preservation Commission recommended denial of its special-use permit, saying the zipline didn’t fit with downtown’s old-fashioned character. But the Zoning and Planning Commission unanimously recommended approving the permit.

A couple of residents at the time dismissed concerns about historical character, noting the Route 66 Zipline was an attraction that drew tourists and that Route 66 isn’t just historic preservation. The city council eventually approved a new lease.

Here’s a video about the zipline from some tourists’ point of view:

(Image from riding on the Route 66 Zipline via Facebook)

 

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