It appears that Deer Valley Resort has officially entered the discussion with the continuation of a regional interconnect. As reported previously in this blog, Canyons is currently working on an interconnect with Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Although a connection between Deer Valley and Historic Main Street has been discussed previously, it was quickly dismissed by Deer Valley as being too expensive. Well, their position appears to be changing. This morning the Park Record published an article indicating that the resort may finally be ready to move forward with a gondola plan.
According to the article, there are preliminary discussions underway between Deer Valley and Park City about whether the gondola could be built linking the resort’s slopes and Main Street, a move that would rank with the highest-profile skiing upgrades in Park City in more than a decade.
Numerous details have not been solidified, and Deer Valley has not yet formally proposed a gondola. But there almost certainly will be widespread interest in the discussions in Park City as well as in the statewide ski industry. The talks have not been publicized until this week.
Years ago, Park City Mountain Resort linked its slopes to lower Main Street via the Town Lift and later the Town Bridge. A Deer Valley-Main Street connection, probably along the upper reaches of Main Street, could create another skiing bookend to the street.
"It would be very significant," Bob Wheaton, the president and general manager of Deer Valley, said on Monday. "I think it would be a significant event for the resort and for the town."
He said there is not another place in North America with connections between a downtown and two mountain resorts.
Wheaton said the discussions between Deer Valley and City Hall have centered on the Brew Pub lot close to the top of Main Street. Park City officials are considering projects to boost Main Street's competitiveness with other shopping, dining and entertainment destinations. The Brew Pub lot, one of the few publicly owned locations along Main Street available for development, has been in play during these talks.
Wheaton also said Deer Valley is researching upward of six potential gondola alignments. The terminals under consideration on the resort side include Silver Lake Village, a spot at the Northside Express lift and a location at the Empire Canyon Lodge. Under those scenarios, it seems that a gondola could enter and leave Old Town via a line that closely follows Marsac Avenue. The gondola could angle into Deer Valley itself from there.
There are houses along Marsac Avenue and Daly Avenue, immediately to the west, but the land is either largely undeveloped or part of the Deer Valley complex elsewhere along what could be a gondola route.
Wheaton said the earliest a gondola could open is the 2014-2015 ski season. The timeline depends on numerous decisions that the resort and City Hall would need to make, including critical ones about the Brew Pub lot. Wheaton said the resort is discussing options to lease or purchase the lot, or a portion of the lot, from the municipal government. A ticket office and a Deer Valley retailer could be built at the site if a gondola terminal is situated there, he said.
"We can't continue being held in the regard we are in North America if we stand still," Wheaton said, referring to Deer Valley's annual high rankings among the continent's mountain resorts.
The article can be found at The Main Street to Deer Valley Article in the Park Record.
Travel + Leisure Magazine added Park City to its list of “America’s Best Ski Towns.” The December 2012 featured a list of 11 towns and included Park City for its charming Main Street, wealth of culinary options, and proximity to seven major ski resorts, including Deer Valley Resort.
