Color Related WestPac Green

August 14th, 2007 at 06:26am Michael Conniff 2

SNOWMASS, COLORADO–If you can feel for a corporation than I feel for Related WestPac. I really do. Because no matter what they do here–even if they do everything right–they have to live with what came before and the chaos of construction here that is still to come.

People around here hate developers. It’s that simple. No matter how many good things Related WestPac president Pat Smith does, there are those who live here who will still hate him merely because he’s a developer–and because of what he inherited. Pat Smith is the custodian of the soul of a town that has spent the better part of the recent past in development hell.

There’s nothing Pat Smith can do about it, not after Aspen Skiing Company found itself without a partner in the Base Village development–after Intrawest went on the block and got itself sold. Skico turned to Smith and WestPac, and Smith convinced Related Companies to put more money on the table, begatting the Related WestPac joint-venture.

But Related, WestPac, and Related WestPac are at least trying hard to make things right. Love them, hate them, you have to give them that. They’ve hired some of the best people around, and they’re also trying to make Snowmass greener than green. They brought on the Rocky Mountain Institute in Old Snowmass as a consultant. That was the point of the press confab last week under a tent overlooking Fanny Hill here at the Silvertree Hotel owned, not coincidentally, by Related WestPac: Related WestPac is re-building a resort so green it can’t help but be the envy of its peers and even those who sneer.

Related Companies president Jeff Blau called it “the re-birth of one of the nation’s greatest” resort areas. He pointed out that his company not only pioneered green building in Tribeca–eight other projects are in the works–but it has also built over 300,000 affordable housing units across the country.

“As a company,” he said, “we have taken environmental responsibility across our whole platform.” Blau taled about “economic development that is environmentally responsible,” “community collaboration,” “environmental innovation,” and the “integration of sustainability into our efforts” for “cleaner, greener construction.” He said Snowmass will “push the boundaries” with RMI by its side.

If anything, Related WestPac has gone overboard when it comes to green. For the Silvertree announcement, they brought in S. Richard “Rick” Fedrizzi, the president, chief executive officer, and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, proponent of the LEEDs green building standard that Related WestPac has readily adopted. Former New York Governor George Pataki was there to lend his weight and political skill to the project–one of his former aides now works directly for Related. On the eve of the RMI:25 Celebration, appropriate homage was paid to Amory Lovins, the founder, chairman, and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute over the hill in Old Snowmass.

Pat Smith came back on line to report upon biodiesel fuel and a carbon-free micro-turbine setup on Brush Creek.

“This is a commitment beyond what is necessary,” RMI chief executive officer Michael Potts said. “Related is showing commitment to a mission.”

“This puts natural energy back to work,” he said, ” to ensure the least amount” of environmental impact. Governor Pataki said this is “way beyond what anyone has done.” Pataki said: “Snowmass will be replicated around the world.” 

It’s all good and that’s too bad. Related WestPac, a developer, is trying its best to love Snowmass. Can Snowmass love it back?

Entry Filed under: Resorts, Travel, Aspen Skiing Company, Ski Business, Pitkin County, Base Village, Politics, United Post, Real Estate, Rocky Mountain Institute, Old Snowmass, Colorado, The West