To’Nanees’Dizi Local Government approves Change Labs’ request for land

On May 2nd, the leadership at the To’Nanees’Dizi Local Government put an end to Change Labs’ four-year wait for access to land to support local entrepreneurs. Chapter leaders unanimously approved a Chapter Resolution providing a tract of land on Main Street in Tuba City for the new Change Labs Headquarters.

The original vision for Change Labs headquarters, illustrated by Terraform in 2018

Our journey to secure land began back in 2017 with an informal partnership with Terraform Development. After two years of stepping through the Navajo business site lease process, Terraform Development secured a lease for 8 acres of undeveloped land in Tuba City. Their vision—to create modern and affordable housing and retail opportunities for local entrepreneurs with Change Labs as an anchor tenant. However, securing a business site lease was just the first clearance in what would become a four-year journey (and counting!) to initiating the development of the land and securing the necessary BIA permits.

The 2020 vision for Change Labs headquarters, illustrated by MASS Design

Putting the Terrform Development prospects on the back burner, in 2019 Change Labs began its own pursuit of land in the hopes of speeding up the process. We made requests to apply for a business site lease in Tuba City, only to be discouraged due to our 501c3 status.

In April that year we requested leasing information for the Dook’o’oosłííd Business Center on Main Street. We pursued a lease on two units for 12 months and spent nearly $6,000 in legal fees to redline the agreement provided to us, only to have all leasing come to an abrupt halt due to an ongoing legal dispute between the co-owners.

We emailed and visited private land owners in Tuba City, hoping one of them would resonate with our desire to lease their land to support local businesses. None of them were interested, despite the fact that nearly of them were sitting on unused land.

We also appealed to our local Congressman, securing a meeting with this aides to discuss the steps releasing BIA land in Tuba City back to the community to support local economic development. They warned us that an act of Congress was required, so we petitioned Congress to release funds to clean up the contaminated BIA buildings in Tuba City, the first step towards releasing the land back to the community. Our petition fell on deaf ears, despite securing signatures from nearly 25% of local residents.

Finally, the Chapter stepped in. President Gerald Keetso empathized with our plight, but also recognized the need for organizations like Change Labs on the Navajo Nation. He allowed Change Labs and Tuba City Planner, Nelson Cody Jr, to collaborate on a land agreement that would enable Change Labs to provide critical business reopening and recovery support in 2021.

The approved location for the new Change Labs Headquarters

While this may not be a permanent solution to the problem, we are grateful to local leaders for their commitment to addressing this issue and championing our mission. Change Labs and To’Nanees’Dizi Local Government are now in the process of collaborating with local developers to request for infrastructure development, finalize the design of our new headquarters, and source Navajo and Hopi businesses to start construction. Stay tuned!