Vail revives plans for development of Park City Mountains base lots

East West Partners will lead a new planning process for the resort’s Mountain Village parking lots, reopening questions about development rights, parking, housing and the future of the base area.

PARK CITY, Utah — Vail Resorts is taking another run at redeveloping the surface parking lots at Park City Mountain’s Mountain Village, nearly four years after a previous proposal led by PEG Companies was withdrawn amid years of review and community opposition.

The resort announced Tuesday that it selected East West Partners, a Colorado-based developer with offices in Park City, to lead a public planning process for the approximately 10-acre site. The effort will include stakeholder meetings this winter and is expected to explore redevelopment of the parking lots, as well as the potential relocation of resort operations from the Munchkin property in Bonanza Park.

The announcement does not include a development proposal, building heights, unit counts, parking figures, or a construction timeline. Vail said the process will involve community input and pre-development discussions with Park City municipal officials.

“The future of Mountain Village is important to our community, our economy and the guest experience,” said Park City mayor Ryan Dickey. “We look forward to a thoughtful conversation about how these properties can evolve in a way that reflects our city’s strategic priorities and long-term vision.”

But the site is not a blank slate. Its development history is governed in part by a 1998 development agreement between Park City and the companies that owned and operated the resort at the time. That agreement established a framework for development at the resort’s base, including density limits, parcel-specific building allowances, employee-housing obligations, and parking requirements.

PEG’s proposal called for a 249-room hotel, 144 condominium units, retail and restaurant space, employee and attainable housing, and replacement skier parking. Some buildings would have reached 103 feet in an area zoned for 35 feet.

The proposal drew sustained opposition from the Responsible Resort Area Development Coalition, or RRAD. The group raised concerns about building heights, traffic and parking, pedestrian safety, ski school access, and the amount of open space. It gathered more than 900 signatures on a petition opposing the proposal.

PEG withdrew its application on Jan. 19, 2023, and said it would no longer pursue the proposed amendment to the 1998 development agreement. The company cited the resort’s ongoing review of its paid and reservation-based parking program, saying that work affected the broader planning effort.

At the time, Vail Resorts Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh said the company remained committed to redeveloping its parking lots.

Though the original concept plan attached to it has expired, the 1998 agreement remains in place, and it contains provisions that could shape any new proposal. It establishes employee-housing requirements and calls for a parking mitigation plan. Under the parking provision, if the resort’s plan fails to mitigate peak-day parking impacts, the city may require the resort to limit ticket sales until an acceptable plan is in place.

Vail did not provide additional details beyond its announcement. John Kanaly, the resort’s senior manager of communications, said the company had no further comment at this time.

East West Partners has experience with resort-area development in the Park City region, including projects at Empire Pass and The Havens at Deer Crest. They are also partnered with Vail Resorts and the town of Vail on a redevelopment plan for West Lionshead.