All Skico CEO Wants Is Love

July 14th, 2007 at 10:35am Post Staff 3

SNOWMASS, COLORADO (Post Time News)—The chief executive officer of Aspen Skiing Company (Skico) said the company “has invested over $68 million in Snowmass since the approval of Base Village and we have many more improvements planned, including two new on-mountain restaurants.”

“In short,” Kaplan wrote in a letter to the editor of a local paper, “we have already become much more competitive as a destination resort and business levels are on the rise. With the Treehouse Children’s’ Center opening this season, as well as the Elk Camp Beginner area, and snowmaking down Funnel trail, this momentum has just begun.”

Kaplan’s comments come as developer Related Westpac is in the midst of construction that will continue through 2011 as Snowmass tries to enter the world of 21st century resorts. Kaplan said in the letter that the February 2004 vote for Base Village “triggered an unprecedented flurry of investment into the community. Since the referendum, condominium unit sales doubled and values rose almost 50 percent compared to 2002 and 2003. More than $28 million (in 2006 alone) has been invested in existing lodging properties to modernize their appearance and functionality, and enhance the quality of the guest experience.”

Kaplan characterized the experience of Snowmass in the interim until Base Village is complete as “no pain, no gain.” Skico owns and operates the Snowmass Ski Area and Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, and Aspen Highlands.

“The construction can definitely be a nuisance,” Kaplan wrote, “but let’s not lose sight of the fact that we have already realized significant improvements to the guest experience, and substantial benefits to the local community.

“Going forward, it is important we all concentrate on ensuring Base Village approvals are implemented as promised, while maintaining an open mind toward proposed amendments, to ensure we remain relevant in this dynamic business environment.

“We also need to pull together and maintain focus on our long-term goal of creating a more vital, vibrant, and sustainable resort community. By 2010, Snowmass will be a much more powerful destination, with real capacity to set a new standard for mountain towns. I believe we can raise the level of dialogue within the Town by tackling this more challenging goal, rather than picking away at smaller issues that consume a disproportionate amount of time and energy.”

Kaplan had kudos for the Town of Snowmass Village because of the new recreation center, the new Brush Creek bike trail—he called it “my personal favorite”—and the new Town Hall. The goal for Skico, he said, is “to continue to realize our true and still untapped potential.”

“Since the approval of Base Village,” Kaplan wrote, “a great deal has changed in Snowmass – so much so that it is important to step back and reflect. The final vote on Base Village signaled that the community was in favor of renewal and embracing a more vibrant and successful future for this great town and mountain.”

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