Industry News
The long-awaited, and delayed, Lift One project at Aspen Mountain, CO cleared a major hurdle this week.
The Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board gave its blessing to the Lift One project to allow planning and development to move forward. One of the final pieces to the puzzle was gaining approval from the Board to allow a smaller normal variance between the proposed new lift and lodge. Normally, the state of Colorado requires a 35-foot clearance around the lodge, however, the clearance will be 22 feet for the Lift One Project.
The Lift One project at Aspen Mountain entails replacing the 1972 Shadow Mountain double chair, better known as Lift 1A, with a telemix (combination gondola and chairlift). Along with the new lift, Lift One Lodge and the Gorsuch Haus will debut, and a skier services center anchored with restaurants, bars, retail, parking, and more will complete the development.
The site of the Lift One project has great historical significance at Aspen Mountain. The remains of the original Lift 1 single chairlift, built-in 1946, are still on-site and was the main chairlift at Aspen.
The new telemix aims to replicate Lift 1 by extending its base 500 feet lower to where the original Lift 1 debuted. It’ll be a tight squeeze on a 60-foot wide ski corridor, but with a few changes to the proposed development approved by the board, skiers will be back to ending their day down on Dean Street.
While the Lift One project scored a victory with the Board’s recent approval, the project still has a long way to go. The Planning and Zoning and Historical Preservation commissions still have their final review, Aspen city’s open space and trails board will have their input, and public hearings are scheduled for the end of October/early November. And finally, once approved, the developers will have 5 years to start construction on the project.
