Vail is in the initial stages of planning a fourth base village to be located west of Lionshead that will feature new lodging, restaurants, boutiques, skier services, parking, public spaces and housing for Vail Resorts workers.
The new base, called West Lionshead, will be located on a 12.5-acre parcel about a half mile west of the Lionshead base village. It was previously mentioned in 10-year a master development document filed with the White River National Forest in March.
Vail’s other base areas are located at Vail Village and Golden Peak, which are located adjacent to each other a mile and a half to the east of the planned West Lionshead development.
The decision to move forward came after the Vail Town Council voted unanimously to enter into a partnership agreement with Vail Resorts and a prominent local developer, East West Partners. Vail Resorts spokesman John Plack declined to offer even a vague timeline for the project, however. The planning process will begin with community open houses this fall, giving the public an opportunity to provide input.
“We’re going to be working with the Town of Vail and East West Partners to lay out a road map for timeline and next steps,” Plack said. “Right now our focus is on starting everything off with a lot of positive energy and momentum, making sure we listen to the community through our community open houses. A timeline will become more clear after the open house process.”
One thing seems clear: construction won’t begin anytime soon. After a master plan is developed, East West Partners and Vail Resorts will enter into the entitlement approval process.
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As part of the agreement, Vail Resorts is dropping its appeal of a decision by the town in 2022 to condemn a property in East Vail where it sought to build employee housing. The town’s strategic plan will be updated to identify the West Lionshead base as a “priority,” benefitting the community and resort visitors.
“It is a shared goal of the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, and East West Partners to ensure our town remains a top destination for guests and a vibrant community for the residents who create the welcoming and unique atmosphere Vail is known for,” Vail mayor Travis Coggin said in a news release. “We are in an era of renewed collaboration between the town and Vail Resorts.”
Broomfield-based Vail Resorts, which expanded from 10 resorts to 42 over the past decade, announced two weeks ago that it plans to lay off 14% of its workers. Most of the positions eliminated will come from the company’s corporate workforce, according to a news release. Less than 1% of the reductions will come from its operations workforce.
“The company expects $100 million in annualized cost efficiencies by the end of its 2026 fiscal year,” the release stated.