The Topock 66 Spa & Resort project in Topock, Ariz., 
announced with considerable fanfare more than two years ago, soon will resume construction after long delays, according to an announcement on its Facebook page.
Owner Chet Hitt said the first phase of Topock 66 should be finished by March 2013.
The announcement read:
Many said it wouldn’t be done, but we’re moving dirt and bringing in infrastructure for a mid-winter groundbreaking. When the 2013 season starts on the Colorado River, the first phase of the Topock66 Resort will be complete. We’re talking a brand new Restaurant/Bar/Fuel/Retail Center, and a destination for all of our friends, both old and new.
Owner Chet Hitt says it best when he states, “Of all my projects, this has been the toughest. Our family has invested just about everything we have to make this thing come to life. I never anticipated that when we tore down the old Marina, the economy would take a dive, and we would run into some of the federal permit issues that we have. I want all of our investors, friends and customers to know that I truly appreciate their faith in me and that I intend to build the most amazing facility on the river. We’ve had to change course several times on this, but anyone who knows us know, WE NEVER QUIT” He goes on, “This is only the first phase of our project. Wait til you see the hotel, pool, retail shops and spa facilities that we will start as Phase 2. We’re so excited, and there is NO stopping us now!”
In a telephone interview Wednesday, Hitt said the main stumbling block was the site is on a floodplain near the Colorado River.
“The banks got scared and pulled the funding,” he said. “I got my butt kicked by the problems, but we kept fighting and kept going.”
So Hitt said the complex was redesigned with an 11-foot-tall retaining wall to mitigate possible flooding issues. He said new financing came through, and Topock 66 Spa & Resort’s restaurant, bar, marina, and events center should be open by spring.
Hitt says a completion date for the complex’s hotel and other Phase 2 projects should be known by the end of the month.
When announced in May 2010, Topock 66 Spa & Resort was estimated as a $14 million project.
It replaces Topock Marina, a popular stopping point for Route 66ers and other travelers for a meal or a beer before heading into California. The marina was razed, but Hitt pledged to reuse the beams — once parts of an old bridge — in the new building.
If anyone can pull this off it is Chet. He is one person that truly lives by the rule of ‘never giving up’.
As a roadie, one of his many friends and a supporter of this project I know this project will become one of the top attractions on the road and the river.
Way to go.
Yahooo! My friends and I have been watching and worrying, we’ve been missing a fave. WE promise to stop in EVERY time we come boating or jetskiing down the mighty Colorado toward Topock Gorge. Can’t wait.
Can’t wait! this has been a long time coming. 6 families, all with boats looking forward to doing our part to support the NEW Topock marina, though we will miss the good old days.