Industry News
With the largest footprint, most vertical, and best snowmaking east of the Mississippi, Killington, Vermont, is known as the “Beast of the East.” The town of roughly 1,400 people sees over a million tourist visits annually to its mountain slopes, however, one thing the resort lacks is a retail and residential center like other popular resorts in the state such as Stratton, Sugarbush, Smugglers’ Notch, and Stowe.
Now, a Canadian company is looking to change that and add even more allure to the resort with $3 billion in capital investment to the area over the next 25 years. The proposal will focus on a reimagination of Killington Village.
In May of 2023, Great Gulf Group, one of North America’s largest home builders, purchased land at the foot of Killington Ski Resort for $43 million. The intention is to develop the nearly 1,100 acres into condos, townhomes, and single-family homes, along with a new retail village and lift lodge. News of the plan is already having an impact on real estate prices in the area.
The first phase of the project will focus on a new lift lodge designed by the international architecture firm of Moshe Safdie, as well as 32,000 square feet of commercial space, 193 condominiums, and 32 single-family homes. The village design includes a pedestrian-only Main Street that leads to the base of the mountain, where a crystalline lodge will replace the current Snowshed and Ramshead lodges. It will be the hub of activity and will be made of cladding and joined glass at various angles. It will be visible from both the slopes and the village, and its design will reflect the natural landscapes by containing the colors of every season.
The entire project could add up to 2,300 housing units over the next 25 years, along with an estimated 1,000 construction jobs and 1,200 permanent jobs. As the town builds its infrastructure, Great Gulf and the Killington Resort have pledged $700,000 for the town to buy a 70-acre plot of land near the mountain for 300 affordable workforce housing units. The size and scope of the project is one of the largest the environmentally restrictive state has seen in recent years. The improvements are expected to add more than $285 million of new taxable value to the area and yield over $115 million in new property tax revenues over 20 years.
Great Gulf unveiled its latest phase-one proposal to residents and resort visitors over the winter and expects to file its plans with the town’s development review board by the end of May. It will then be reviewed by a state district Act 250 land use commission, with hopes to receive permits for the first phase of construction by November and break ground by spring 2025. A grand opening would be expected as early as 2027.
Additional phases of the project will have to be subsequently approved by the city, but if all goes as planned, Killington will get a much-desired base area upgrade. So far, the residents seem supportive of the project, as Killington has lacked such infrastructure with four-season potential for far too long and resort officials have vocalized the desire for a village since the ski area was founded in 1958. Now, many are hopeful it finally happens in world-class fashion.
They’re already the most expensive lift tickets in the East. I’ll stick with the Indy pass.