Officials from the Native American-governed US territory Navajo Nation are considering contentious plans to develop tourist attractions at the edge of the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon Escalade project has been touted for a reservation that borders the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon National Park. The controversial plans feature installation of an eight-person gondola that would carry tourists to the canyon floor where they could visit a restaurant on the Colorado riverside and a Navajoland Discovery Center, which would be overseen by an advisory board.

Scottsdale-based Confluence Partners, the company behind the proposal, estimates the development could attract as many as three-million extra visitors and US$70m (€62.7m, £52.5m) in additional revenue to the canyon each year, which at present attracts somewhere around five-million people annually. Legislation introduced this week proposes US$65m (€58.3m, £48.7m) in tribal development funds on top of further costs, which would be used to build things such as roads, running water and electricity.

"I can't think of a more deserving spot in the country than these folks, who get overlooked all the time by government officials and politicians," said Confluence Partners managing partner Lamar Whitmer, according to The Arizona Republic.

“The gondola will also give people who can't hike, ride mules or boat into the canyon a below-the-rim experience without overwhelming the larger wilderness,” he added.

The US Park Service has opposed the construction, with the body concerned that the development may have an impact on the scenery and wildlife of the area. Critics to the development have also voiced concerns regarding intrusion upon sacred sites, but Confluence’s consultancy group includes several members of the Navajo tribe, on whose land the project is planned to be built on. Several Navajo elders were also consulted while formulating the plans.