CANYONS AWAKENING of Its Slicker Neighbors, Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort
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THE TOWN NEXT DOOR 155 MOUNTAIN MOGUL 156 TABLE TOPPERS 158 INTERIOR DESIGN, GARDENING, NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILES, AND MORE HABITAT Park City Mountain’s Quicksilver gondola OR MUCH OF ITS 50-YEAR TENURE, Park City West, as it was named when it opened in 1968, languished in the shadow CANYONS AWAKENING of its slicker neighbors, Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort. Park West’s How the redevelopment of the area’s Fpersona-non-grata status was largely due to a nonsensi- cal layout, lack of base-area lodging, and a revolving most rapidly expanding ski resort base came door of managers and owners. It wasn’t until the late to be—and where it’s headed. 1990s that the first glimmer of the resort’s potential was made apparent when the now-defunct American Skiing BY MELISSA FIELDS Company took over operations, retooled the mountain PARKCITYMAG.COM WINTER/SPRING 2020 153 HABITAT layout with the Red Pine gondola, and changed the density of amenities in the new Pendry/Lift village resort’s name from Wolf Mountain to The Canyons. The square—five restaurants will be located in the Pendry next owner, Talisker Corporation, deepened the resort’s alone—will entice guests to stay put. “Instead of making prospects further with base-area upgrades and installa- multiple trips into Main Street to have dinner, shop, etc., tion of North America’s first heated chairlift, the Orange 1968 Canyons Village guests will have enough options ... that Park City West opens Bubble Express, in 2010 (and changed the name again to with three double they will likely feel the need to go to Main Street only Canyons Resort). The old Park West’s definitive turning chairlifts, a coffee once or twice during a weeklong stay,” March says. shop, and day lodge point, however, began in 2013 when Vail Resorts entered into a long-term lease of Canyons from Talisker, which 1974 was followed by Vail’s much-publicized purchase of Park Park City West closes OLD TOWN COMPETITION OR for the 1974–1975 City Mountain. Then came the Quicksilver gondola, which season due to drought COMPLEMENT? connected the formerly separate Park City Mountain and Canyons and created the largest resort in the Lower 48. 1975 Having a chic, bustling, and walkable base area checks Jack Roberts buys And so it was that the ski hill locals once referred to as majority share and a lot of boxes for visitors, not to mention Park City tran- “Park Worst” seemed finally able to fully shed its former, renames it Park West sit managers. But what about Main Street merchants second-rate status. But if you’ve visited Canyons Village 1995 and restaurateurs (who pay some of the highest rents in any time in the last year, you know the remaking of the Kenny Griswold and Utah to be located in arguably Park City’s most unique resort is actually just getting started. Michael Baker pur- amenity, the Old Town historic district)? “Main Street chase the resort and call it Wolf Mountain will always have a very strong draw due to diversity and WHISTLER SOUTH? density of what it has to offer,” assures Jim Powell, Park 1997 City Chamber/Bureau’s vice president of marketing. “I American Skiing Co When Talisker leased Canyons to Vail Resorts in 2013, leases 3,100 acres agree that all of the new and future development will it retained rights to more than four million feet of from Griswold; buys drive more vibrancy in Canyons Village, but I think the resort’s lifts, build- development space at Canyons Village. But it wasn’t ings, and development that will balance out with the increase in the bed-base until after the Quicksilver gondola launched in 2015 that rights; names resort and visitor nights in that area. I really don’t see this as TCFC, a division of Talisker, contracted Replay Resorts The Canyons a ‘win-lose’ situation between Main Street and Canyons to create a master plan of Canyons Village. “Before Vail July 2010 Village.” Alison Kuhlow, executive director of the Resorts, ownership of Canyons was very unstable,” says Talisker Corporation Historic Park City Alliance, echoes Powell. “Historic Brian Shirken, president of Columbus Pacific Properties, buys the resort; now Park City has unmatched charm and character that Canyons Resort developer of Canyons Village’s Pendry Park City you can only find in a historic district,” she says, “if condominium hotel. “Vail Resorts’ investment in the May 29, 2013 anything, [merchants] expect to be busier with the Vail Resorts leases Quicksilver gondola and other infrastructure showed its resort fromTalisker; completion of Canyons Village.” commitment to growing skier days and gave developers Talisker retains like me the confidence that there will be future growth development rights AND THAT’S NOT ALL, FOLKS at Canyons Village.” September 2014 A vibrant, walkable village—akin to Whistler, Vail, Vail Resorts Pendry, Lift, and the Sunrise lift projects are, however, and Keystone—was the inspiration for the Canyons purchases Park City not all that’s in store at Canyons Village. The 63-unit Mountain Resort Village Master Plan. The plan’s first phase creates a new Apex was slated to open in late 2019, and North America’s commercial area centered between Shirken’s Pendry December 2015 first YotelPAD (a tech-savvy, space-efficient, innovative, PCM becomes largest and the Lift Residences condominiums on what used ski resort in US condo-hotel brand) is under construction there as well, to be the Sundial Lodge parking lot. “Canyons Village with a scheduled completion of fall 2020. Several other lacked a sense of place,” says Gary Raymond, manag- August 2016 projects, including paving the Cabriolet parking lot and a Canyons Village ing director of Replay Resorts and one of the primary master plan submitted 1,100-pillow employee housing project, are also expected architects of the master plan. It all began, he says, with (approved May 2018) to break ground next year. In addition, the next phase of overcoming grade issues, given that Pendry’s build- development at Canyons Village calls for a third village June 2017 ing site was initially located below the grade of both Lift Residences square centered around a pedestrian bridge traversing its neighboring properties and the Sunrise lift on its breaks ground the Canyons Golf fairway and conference center. mountain-facing side. So, the planners incorporated February– To put it in perspective, according to the CVMA, two levels of underground parking, thereby raising the August 2019 Canyons Village will be approximately 35 percent devel- Pendry’s entrance and skier plaza to a grade consistent Construction begins oped in two years and 42 percent developed within the on YotelPAD, Pendry with the Lift and Sundial Lodge. Plus, a high-speed or Park City, and Viridian next three to five years. “If people can come to Canyons gondola version of the Sunrise lift will be extended to Park City Residences Village and do all the things they expect to do on a match that same plaza elevation. Shirken says that, mountain vacation within walking distance of where TBD 2019 when complete (Lift was scheduled to open in December Construction is under they are staying, without having to get in a car, we’ll 2019, Pendry in November 2021, and completion of the way and slated to have succeeded,” Raymond says. begin on nine more Sunrise lift extension and replacement is to be deter- properties (For a com- mined), the resulting Pendry/Lift/Sunrise lift plaza will plete list, visit cvma. be the “ultimate access to Park City Mountain, with com/development) TIPS FOR TRAVEL firepits, art, and entertainment. It will be the new heart Spring/Summer During the ski season, hop aboard the Canyons Village of the ski village.” Shirken, Raymond, and Dave March, 2020 Connect, a complimentary, on-demand ride service within director of marketing and events for the Canyons Village Paving of parking lots; the base area and the Canyons Village Transit hub. construction to begin Management Association (CVMA), all predict that the on employee housing PARKCITYMAG.COM 154 WINTER/SPRING 2020.