59-Acre Resort Land Up For Auction Adjoining Steamboat Ski Area
Thomas Grant, managing partner of the FallsCreek Group, has announced bidding is brisk and ongoing on their 59-Acre Future Steamboat Mountain Ski Village property at the Steamboat Ski Area, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The offering of their property for sale through an online auction is to facilitate the needed development of a new ski base village. Steamboat is the largest ski area in the world with only one ski base that accommodates well over one million skiers annually. The IKON pass and Steamboat’s new gondolas have dramatically increased the number of skiers at Steamboat’s only Base.
The PeakRankings for 2023 reported, "Access to the resort comes from just one base area, and all visitors coming from the base have to go through the same midpoint - the Thunderhead Lodge - to get to any other area of the resort." Some of the ongoing problems of overcrowding are the "chokepoint issues" and the "crowd flow logistics" leading in and out of the Steamboat's current base.
Regardless of having only one base, the Steamboat Ski Area with the town of Steamboat Springs is one of the most well-regarded ski area’s and is recently ranked #1 in North America. Known as “Ski Town USA® “ , Steamboat Springs has sent a great number of athletes to the Winter Olympics. The addition of the Steamboat Mountain® Ski Village base would ease most problems improving the logistics and providing additional ingress and egress continuity to the ski area. The new ski village is inevitable and was approved with the Steamboat Ski Area’s original 1970 master plan.
The Steamboat Mountain property is the only opportunity at the base of Steamboat’s Pioneer Ridge for the development of a new ski village and gondola. The Steamboat Mountain Ski Village would connect to the northern boundary of the Steamboat Ski Area and will provide nearly everything the ski area is lacking, including direct, unobstructed, and necessary access to the north half of the ski area and the best expert ski terrain. It would feature the Starlight 12-passenger gondola permitting skiers access to the entire ski area, Pioneer Ridge, and the 10,568’ Mt. Werner Summit. This should minimize the crowds at Steamboats only base, with additional skiing in the winter, sightseeing, hiking, and biking in the summer.
The proposed posh village will be a unique experience with niche boutique shops, luxury hotels, and residences with extraordinary accommodations fitted with the finest appointments. The contemporary designed buildings will have a look and feel of permanence. The village will be nestled in a creek-side location adjoining the Routt National Forest and Steamboat ski area.
The Steamboat Ski Resort is scheduled to start the development of ski terrain in the Pioneer Ridge area this year. The Steamboat Mountain 59-acre property is an integral part of the Steamboat Ski Area’s Pioneer Ridge (see aerial Google view). The Steamboat Mountain ski village property was purchased over 50 years ago by the Grant family when the ski area was in the early stages of development. Mr. Grant was encouraged by the ski company to purchase and develop the 59-acre Steamboat Mountain property at that time. The ski company indicated that the 1970 Master planned Base II would be in operation within a few years.
Mr. Grant was in the real estate development business and developed Bear Claw I, which was one of the first condominium buildings constructed at the Steamboat Base. Pella Windows recognized Bear Claw I at Steamboat for outstanding quality in their advertising programs for years. Mr. Grant started and owned Steamboat Central Reservations, was Vice President of the Chamber Resort, and started and was president of the Lodging Association and started the bus service in Steamboat Springs. Mr. Grant’s development projects have won awards in other cities in Illinois and Colorado, notably in “Life Magazine” for the first all-electric apartment complex in the Chicago area; in Durango Colorado for building smaller one-bedroom affordable condominiums; and a Beautification Award for an office building for outstanding contribution to downtown Colorado Springs. The FallsCreek Group includes real estate professionals, developers, and architects.
For an overview of the proposed FallsCreek Group - Steamboat Mountain (http://www.steamboatmountain.com) property development, go to: Steamboat Mountain or Steamboat Mountain Ski Village.
