Steamboat master plan

Client
Intrawest

Location
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

A multi-disciplinary team, guided by Eric Sakotas while working at Dunn + Kiley, has undertaken a bifurcated base village master planning process for the Intrawest ski resort of Steamboat. Intrawest charged the planning team with the concurrent goals of:

  • Study & assess locations for the gondola and associated skier access

  • Prepare a development plan that responds to land ownership and phasing opportunities

  • Analyze market conditions via direct and indirect research to determine demand for hotels and real estate products

To address these goals the consulting team performed an intense set of analyses. The market research team conducted research, which examined the demographics and real estate trends at Steamboat. The land planning team undertook a full study of current and potential land use and also examined development standards, site design options and operational programming and build-out options. Beyond this, the architectural team performed modeling work to flesh out the scope of possibility within each base area. 

Nighttime snowy mountain town with winding roads, ski slopes with red and yellow lights, and a village with lit buildings, surrounded by snow-covered trees.
A detailed map of a ski resort area showing ski trails, gondola routes, and various buildings and lodges, including Ph. IV, Ph. II, Ph. III, Ph. I, and other facilities, with labeled terrain features and routes.
An aerial view of a snow-covered mountain ski resort with ski slopes, trees, and buildings at the base, surrounded by mountain ranges.
A detailed map of the area surrounding the Sheraton Steamboat Resort, with marked paths, percentage labels, and symbols indicating traffic flow or directions, along with nearby landmarks such as Chateau Chamonix, Mt. Werner Lodge, and the Ski Time Square Garage.

GONDOLA LOCATION
(Pictured Above)
The current gondola is centrally located within the existing base village core and it is cost prohibitive to relocate the gondola from it’s existing location.

45% of the skier visits come from the condominiums located uphill of the gondola terminal.

The gondola has a robust existing infrastructure for power, cargo deliveries and trash removal (up to 12 tons each day) that goes up and back from the Thunderhead mid-mountain lodge.

The gondola has maximized it’s current life expectancy and requires a major overhaul or replacement.

83% of guests are entering the resort from the south and Mt. Werner Circle. The remaining 17% are coming fro the north side of the resort.

Ski resort scene with people skiing and snowboarding on the slopes, buildings covered in snow, and a mountainous background.