PARK CITY, Utah
Vail Resorts, Inc. has announced details of the company's planned upgrades to Park City Mountain Resort for the 2015-2016 ski season.
The plan, which totals over $50 million, is said to be one of the most ambitious capital programs in U.S. ski industry history and will transform the guest experience at Park City.
The plan would establish the connection between Park City and Canyons, creating the largest single ski area in the country with more than 7,300 acres of skiable terrain, and complete a number of critical upgrades to the infrastructure of both resorts.
The plan will be subject to approval by both Summit County and the City of Park City.
Components of the $50-million capital plan include:
- The Interconnect Gondola. An eight-passenger, high-speed two-way gondola from the base of the existing Silverlode Lift at Park City to the Flatiron Lift at Canyons.
- Upgrade of King Con and Motherlode Lifts at Park City. The King Con Lift will be upgraded from a four-person to a six-person, high-speed detachable chairlift and will increase lift capacity to this very popular ski pod. The Motherlode Lift will be upgraded from a fixed-grip triple to a four-person, high-speed detachable chairlift.
- New Snow Hut Restaurant, Upgrades to Summit House Restaurant at Park City and Expansion of Red Pine Lodge Restaurant at Canyons. The plan calls for building a completely new Snow Hut restaurant at the base of the Silverlode Lift and next to the Park City terminal for the Interconnect Gondola, with 500 indoor seats and a top-of-the-line kitchen and culinary experience. The plan also includes an upgrade to the "scramble" area inside the Summit House restaurant to improve the flow of diners and improve the quality of the experience. At Canyons, the Red Pine Restaurant will be renovated to accommodate an additional 250 indoor seats. This upgrade follows the recent renovation and increase of 150 seats to the Cloud Dine restaurant at Canyons.
- Snowmaking and Other Improvements. The plan features additional snowmaking on two trails in the Iron Mountain area of Canyons which will become increasingly central ski terrain given its proximity to the Interconnect Gondola. The plan also includes almost $5 million of "catch up" maintenance and upgrades at Park City, given the lack of spending at the resort over the past few years. This "catch up" maintenance spending is in addition to the normal annual maintenance capital for the two resorts of $5 million.
For the 2015-2016 ski season, the company intends to operate the two resorts as one unified branded experience under the name "Park City Mountain Resort."
The Canyons base area will be renamed "Canyons at Park City".
Vail Resorts will continue to maintain the unique history and atmosphere of the two base areas with differentiated marketing for the diverse hotel and hospitality experiences.
