I-Team: The Battle for the Grand Canyon Skywalk

GRAND CANYON WEST, Ariz. -- Taking the dusty, bumpy and winding drive, thousands of tourists end up at the Hulapai Indian Reservation, packed together and peering over the edge to see a hole.

The view is best though from the glass perch of the Grand Canyon Skywalk -- a 70 foot horseshoe shaped bridge more than half a mile above the ground. It has brought smiles and amazement, but also an ugly lawsuit that threatens everything.

Wayne Honga is a member of the Hulapai Tribe. This is their land, and in a way, their Grand Canyon Skywalk. It is the vital economic component that keeps the tribe alive. But the main visitors center isn't complete and hasn't been for years, all because the tribe and the developer can't agree.

That developer is David Jin. In the original contract, Jin would build the bridge and the building and both sides would split the profits.

"We're not sure what his hold up is. We can only guess why he's not finishing the building," said Honga.

Jin is battling health problems and declined an interview, but his attorney, Mark Tratos, spoke in his place. 

"We had been proposing to get the thing done and we're told by the tribal council we can't," he said.

Tratos says this isn't the cliched story of a rich developer taking advantage of a Native American tribe. In fact, he says, it is quite the opposite. According to a slew of court documents, even if he wanted to, Jin can't finish the building because the tribe issued a stop work order three years ago.

So far, little money from profits have been given to either side. Much of it is held in a trust account. The tribe blames Jin. Jin blames the tribe.

There is turnover and internal problems with the Hulapai.

"There have been four complete board changes, rotations of the board and six different CEO's," said Tratos.

And then a damning fact sheet from the leaders came in 2009, admitting major financial problems with the tribal operators of the Skywalk. Tratos says no one from the tribe knew where the money was going.

"You in your own writing say that there are all these problems and yet now, all of that is ignored and forgotten and it's all David Jin's fault?" he said.

Honga disputes all the allegations.

"I think that's a ploy -- a distraction that Mr. Jin is putting up to take attention off the basic issue, which is abiding by the terms of the contract," he said.

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One of the first National Parks in the United States to open, in the state of Arizona is the Grand Canyon. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent, creating this majestic and one of the most scenic National Parks. The canyon was created by the Colorado River cutting a channel over millions of years. Statistical information regarding the Grand Canyon: Approximately

277 miles long, ranges in width from .025 to 15 miles and a depth of more than a mile. Native American Indians were among the first to built settlements within the canyon walls. Grand Canyon National Park averages 4.7 million visitors annually. Included in the average number of visitors: Over three million visit the South Rim (Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services are available and facilities are open year round.), 750,000 visitors enjoy the North Rim (Open from mid May to mid – October or weather permitting.), and 50,000 visit the newly discovered West Rim. During the summer time, daytime highs at the river often exceed 105 degrees Fahrenheit. During July, August and early Septembers thunderstorms are frequent. In November 2006, USA Today (American National newspaper) in conjunction with the ‘Good Morning America (American television show) revealed a list of “New Seven Wonders” (Remarkable constructions of classical antiquity) as chosen by six judges. The seventh on the list is the Grand Canyon.

In April 2005, construction began on a unique glass – bottomed horseshoe – shaped observation deck, 1.07 million pounds (About as heavy as four Boeing 757 jets stacked on top of each other) including 94 steel rods that bore 46 feet into the limestone rock, extended about 75 feet from the canyons rim (More than half the length of a football field), and suspended over the canyon’s towering red rock walls almost a mile above (Fastened to the rock using an elaborate system of pulleys connected to four trailers) a faint silver of Colorado River flowing below. Prior to completion of the project, underneath hydraulic “shoes” will lift the Skywalk (name of the observation deck) above a cement track and roll it across a bed of metal rods (Started March 6, 2007 a two day operation). Trucks will push it out. Sheri Yellowhawk, Chief Executive Officer of the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation (Company building the Skywalk) said: ” The Skywalk will be an attraction unlike any other in the world.” Engineers have determined the best way to keep the Skywalk anchored by loading the back end with a half — million pounds of steel cubes as counterweight. Debra Wilkerson, an assistant operation manager for Grand Canyon west (agency that supervises the Skywalk) said: “Wednesday (March 7, 2007) the rollout was finished without any problems. Just smooth as glass.” Skywalk is located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation tribe, nearly one million acres, on the canyon’s western rim, 120 miles west of Las Vegas, and 250 miles west of Grand Canyon National Park main entrance. Skywalk has three oscillating dampers — steel plates, each 3,200 pounds — inside the hollow bridge beams act as shock absorbers, moving up and down to neutralize the vibrations from foot traffic and designed to withstand 100 mph winds. Also, walkway is constructed with three inch thick, heat strengthened glass and enclosed by five — foot glass walls. Future plans include turning a maintenance car designed to run on a track along the bottom of the Skywalk into a trolley ride for visitors.

Grand Canyon, national park

Frommer's Grand Canyon National Park

Frommer's Arizona 2010

Fodor's the Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West

Frommer's American Southwest