For more than 40 years, Christo and Jeanne-Claude have created exhilarating temporary works of art, which have also spurred significant economic benefits for the hosting communities. The artists' most recent work of art, The Gates, Central Park, New York City, attracted an estimated 4 million visitors, generating over $254 million in economic activity. When the artists completed Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin in 1995, the city reaped a reported $700 million in additional tourist dollars.
Previous works have drawn art lovers from across the globe, and Over The River will be no exception. Viewers from across Colorado and the western states can also be expected to enjoy this once in a lifetime event. During its two-week exhibition period, planned for summer 2012 at the earliest, Over The River is expected to be one of the largest visitor attractions in the state and may result in nearly $200 million flowing into the Colorado economy. Over The River may draw half a million visitors over a 2 -3 year period, most of whom will come from out of state to view this remarkable work of art.
As with Christo and Jeanne-Claude's previous works of art, Over The River will be completely funded by the artists. Through the sale of Christo's original works of art, the artists fund 100 percent of costs associated with the permitting process, manufacturing, installation and removal of Over The River. The temporary work of art will be created without public subsidy or taxpayer support, and the artists do not accept viewing fees, sponsorships or outside investments of any kind.
The tables below summarize the economic benefits of Over The River. Please note that these are estimates only, based on formulas using historical visitor and travel data for Colorado.
| PROJECTED NUMBER OF VISITORS |
| Visitors During 24-Month Construction Period 90,000 people |
| Visitors During 14-Day Exhibition 380,000 people |
| Visitors During 3- to 4-Month Removal Period 90,000 people |
| Percentage of Visitors from Out of State 62% |
| Number of Out-of-State Visitors Who Will Come to Colorado Specifically for OTR 180,300* people |
| PROJECTED ECONOMIC EFFECTS |
| Total Economic Activity Generated by OTR $195.5 million |
| Economic Activity Generated in the Denver Metro Area $78.3 million |
| Economic Activity Generated in Colorado Springs $55.3 million |
| Economic Activity Generated in the Arkansas River Valley $15.9 million |
| Economic Activity Generated in Other Areas of Colorado $46 million |
| Total Number of Overnight Stays Spent in Colorado for OTR 1.1 million |
| Average Estimated Length of Stay for an Out-of-State Visitor in Town for OTR 4-5 days |
*By comparison, the 2008 Democratic National Convention is expected to draw 35,000 visitors.
Methodology: In order to complete an economic impact analysis of Over The River, BBC Research and Consulting used J.F. Sato and Associates' visitation estimates. BBC then expanded the analysis by adding information on likely visitor travel patterns, based on the Colorado Tourism Office's annual visitor research report. The BBC model took into consideration visitor counts, length of stay estimates, travel patterns and spending assumptions to calculate the total "new" spending associated solely with the installation of Over The River.
Click here to download a fact sheet about the economic benefits of Over The River.
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