Vail Resorts outlines affordable employee housing investments in Park City, Whistler

The new Canyons Village Employee Housing Development is set to open before the 22/23 Winter Season. Photo: TownLift

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — On Monday Vail Resorts announced four investments to provide affordable housing for its employees at Park City Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Vail Mountain in Colorado, and Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont.

Collectively, the move will provide housing to more than 875 employees, which is more than a 10 percent increase in affordable housing units offered by the company.

In Park City, Vail has entered into a five-year lease with Columbus Pacific Development to provide 441 employees access to affordable housing in the new Canyons Village Employee Housing Development, which is set to open before the 2022/23 winter season. The lease has two five-year renewal options and is part of a public-private partnership between the Canyons Village Management Association, Columbus Pacific, and Summit County, Utah.

At Whistler Blackcomb, Vail is pursuing the new Glacier 8 employee housing development, alongside the municipality of Whistler, which will provide 240 workforce units. The company has also committed $1 million for enhanced transit service. The development will be in front of the town council for approval later this month, with construction possibly starting spring 2023.

At Vail Mountain, the company is putting $17 million towards the construction of employee housing on the land it owns in East Vail, which will offer a home to 165 workers when completed. The project was approved by the Town of Vail in 2019, but was delayed due to the pandemic and a district court upholding its approval. It is now expected to be finished by December 2023.

In Vermont, Vail is now under contract to purchase an existing property in Ludlow for $1 million, which will provide affordable housing to more than 30 Okemo employees roughly one mile from the resort.

Additionally, the company has invested in incremental affordable housing at Stevens Pass in Washington for 24 employees.

The move comes after Vail Resorts announced that starting wages will tick up 33% to $20 per hour next season at all of its 37 resorts in North America.