The seemingly never-ending Snowmass Base Village development project faces yet another setback with Aspen Skiing Company announcing earlier this week that it has pulled the plug on plans on a second Limelight Hotel property. After officially getting the green light for the project in January, 102 hotel rooms, 18 privately owned suites, and three employee-housing units were slated for completion by December 2015 – which would have made a significant dent in the unsightly vacant land at the base of Snowmass. It's back to the drawing board - a worst-case scenario – so what will happen now?
SkiCo's concerns with the Town of Snowmass Village's traffic plans and Related Colorado's lack of details for development of the rest of the area posed too great of a risk for moving forward – despite the $1 million already invested into the project.
Curbed Ski's concern? If SkiCo can't get behind it, then who can? Seven years in, we'd have to agree with what Snowmass resident Arnie Mordkin's told the Aspen Times:
"It's about time in my opinion and I think in the opinion of many in this community that this council stood up and said 'Enough is enough. Don't procrastinate; don't waste our time and then come say...you have to bail us out."
Hey, at least the Viceroy's plans for a Phase Two expansion are still underway.
-By Katie Shapiro
· SkiCo cancels plans for Limelight hotel in Snowmass Village [Aspen Journalism]
· SkiCo cancels plan to build Limelight in Snowmass [Aspen Times]
· All Snowmass Base Village Coverage [Curbed Ski Archives]