Parcel fight is over in Vail; Colorado ski resort now focused on new base with affordable housing

Vail Resorts and the Town of Vail have put down the gloves and are now planning to work together to install affordable housing into a new fourth ski base area for the resort. It comes after Vail Resorts dropped their appeal to the condemnation of the plot of land they were trying to build the housing on before this.

You might remember recent reports about the parcel being condemned by the town, on the east end of Vail. To sum that up quickly, Vail Resorts wanted to build a multistory affordable housing complex to help with the massive shortage of affordable options for workers, while the town combated that plan, pointing to big horned sheep habitat in the way of the construction.

"As a part of the partnership agreement, the town of Vail and Vail Resorts have aligned, of course, on the development in West Vail, including workforce housing," John Plack Director of Communications for Vail Resorts said. "As a result, Vail Resorts will be dropping its appeal of the town's condemnation of its East Village property."

Working together with the town might include help with public financing, or help navigating building permits for the new base (which as of right now does not have a solid plan in place, but could include things much like the other bases, restaurants, shops, and ski access from a gondola).

"It really marks a new era of collaboration between the town, the company Vail Resorts and the community including East West Partners, which is a local company here in Vail," Plack said. "We want to start that with community open houses to see community feedback about what the future vision for the West Lionshead development will look like."

The Mayor of Vail, Travis Coggin, said the disagreement over the parcel started long before he took the job, and he's thankful both groups can move past it at this point.

"A lot of times I feel like we're siblings and siblings are going to fight," Coggin said. "But, you know, you work through it and you find the shared common goals that we have."

Those common goals being workforce housing. Coggin agreed their tourist town thrives on the people who can make the town and the resort a memorable experience for visitors.

"You can't deliver a great experience if there's no one there to run the chair or to open the shop or cook your meal at a nice restaurant," Coggin said.

There is no official timeline yet for the formation of the plan for the new base.