Despite the undeveloped state of Aspen Mountain's Lift 1A base area, a top official with the International Ski Federation told the Aspen Times this week that the organization wants to have the 2017 World Cup Finals in Aspen. Although awarded the event in 2014, Aspen Skiing Co. knows that the FIS Council wants a new lift and redeveloped base area to meet FIS racing standards. So what's the hold up? Aspen Skiing Co. doesn't want to install a multimillion dollar chairlift unless it knows that additional tourist accommodations will be built on that side of the mountain. And trying to build anything in Aspen at the moment, especially if it requires exemptions on issues like height, parking, and employee housing, is damn near impossible. A new lift needs to be ordered by April 2016 a the latest in order to be installed in time for the Finals.