Petition fights to keep the Grand Canyon from becoming a shopping mall

Some people consider the Grand Canyon to be one of the natural wonders of the world, other people consider it the perfect location ... for a shopping mall.Developers Confluence Partners want to build a 420-acre attraction out of the Grand Canyon's east rim called the Grand Canyon Escalade. The $100M plan includes shops, an Imax theater, hotels, an RV park and a tram that would take riders to the valley floor in ten minutes.

Not everyone's on board with the proposed plan, though. In fact, lots of people are downright horrified. An online petition created by Sum Of Us is fighting to stop the super mall, and as of April 9th, it is about 18K signatures away from reaching their goal of 100K.

"The site for the proposed development is called 'The Confluence' and is a sacred place for the Navajo," the petition reads. "This is the place where their people first emerged; as told in their creation story."

However, some members of the Navajo tribe argue the development would create jobs. Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly told NBC News back in February he plans to give the project his approval.

"I want my people to have a better life," Shelly told NBC. "They need jobs, they need homes -- they need good homes."

Confluence Partners hopes the project can start construction as early as 2017, but if more speak up, perhaps it won't happen at all.

What's your take on the contentious plan? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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