The Whole Scoop
Winter Park Resort Development & URA Update
Winter Park Resort Unlocked, a long-term initiative by the resort to make significant improvements on the mountain, to the base area, and to connectivity with downtown, took a major step forward this month. Town Council approved the Preliminary Plan Development (PDP) for the Base Area, which proposes development to transform the area into a mixed-use, vibrant, and active community year-round. Council has also moved forward with important actions to ensure this project aligns with the community's values and goals.
Winter Park Unlocked Update
Winter Park Unlocked Update
The Winter Park Unlocked initiative is a sweeping effort to guide the evolution of the Resort. The first phase was highlighted and described in the Preliminary Development Plan (PDP) recently presented to Town Council. Winter Park Resort laid out the long-term vision for redevelopment of the resort base area including commercial uses, housing, trail connectivity, roads and streets, and a new gondola connecting the resort to downtown Winter Park.
The Plan Area of this phase is approximately 177 acres, bounded by US HWY 40 to the east, Winter Park Resort to the west, residential areas to the north and south, and Arapahoe National Forest to the southwest. It includes a total of 34 parcels, all of which are owned or managed by Alterra Mountain Company or the Winter Park Recreation Association (WPRA). The PDP does not include condominiums owned by others. To move this project forward, the Town Council approved the PDP along with a variety of zone reclassifications.
"A project like the one we're imagining is complex and ever evolving. We're working with our partners and designers to be nimble, thoughtful, and sustainable in our approach – to make this already amazing place better, and to create a mountain resort and community like no other."
In conjunction with approval of the PDP, Town Council also approved a Development Agreement with Alterra. This contract has been negotiated over the past year and is part of a substantial set of plans and agreements expected to realize the public objectives outlined in the Town’s comprehensive plan, Imagine Winter Park, and the Town’s Downtown Plan.
The agreements addresses:
- Densities and land uses
- Requirements for local employee housing
- Creation of a Task Force addressing employee housing and childcare
- Town support Alterra’s for HWY 40 improvements
- Town assistance in expanding passenger rail opportunities
Smart Development: Winter Park Urban Renewal Authority
As development occurs in Winter Park, the Town's responsibility is to guide these efforts so that new projects align with the community's goals and benefit the public. When Winter Park Resort was ready to move forward with its Base Development Plan, the Town put in place key elements to ensure this significant effort adds value to the community as a whole.
The first step was establishing an Urban Renewal Authority, which the Town of Winter Park formally created in September 2024. The URA serves as a catalyst by funding the infrastructure and public amenities needed to spark development and ensure that development supports the community’s vision outlined in Imagine Winter Park (the Town’s comprehensive plan).
"The URA serves as a catalyst for private investment by funding infrastructure and public amenities."
An Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is a public entity established to address and revitalize specific areas within a community. URAs use various tools and resources to promote redevelopment, economic development, and improve the overall quality of life in these areas.
The Winter Park URA is officially an independent entity. It is governed by a Board of Commissioners comprised of the seven town council members, representatives from three underlying tax districts (Grand County, East Grand School District, Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District), and an additional member appointed by the mayor.
How Does a URA Work? Tax Increment Financing
The URA will use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to invest in public amenities and infrastructure.
Tax Increment Financing: Funding Basics
In order to collect and use TIF, the URA must designate specific TIF areas. Winter Park will have two: the base area within the Winter Park Unlocked plan and the downtown, or Cooper Creek Village, area. Both will see significant investment and growth in the future.
The URA then establishes a “base” property tax level (what people currently pay in property taxes). As new businesses and homes are built, the property values go up, and so do the property taxes collected. The extra tax money (i.e. the “increment” between the base amount and the new amount) from the new development is set aside to pay for improvements in that area— like better trails, parking, and transportation, maybe even a gondola. This, in turn, helps attract even more businesses and residents, making the area nicer without raising taxes on everyone else.
"TIF is like using future growth to pay for today’s improvements, making an underutilized area better without needing extra tax money upfront."
TIF is a preferred funding tool because it is based on property taxes in the specific area targeted for improvement. The vast majority of Winter Park residents will never pay this tax
It's important to note, the URA is not the only entity that depends on property tax as revenue. The “underlying tax districts”—like schools, fire departments, libraries, and counties—also rely on property tax revenue. The underlying districts will continue to receive their base revenues, plus the growth of the base amount over time. Through agreements developed during the URA formation process, a portion of the "increment" mentioned above may also be shared with the underlying districts. Plus, URA and TIF collection will expire in 25 years, and then the districts will benefit from the increased revenue from increased property values.
Gondola & Ski Back Trail
A major component of Winter Park Unlocked is the construction of the Connect Winter Park project, which consists of a gondola connecting Winter Park Resort to Downtown as well as the construction of a ski-back trail.
A new gondola going between Downtown and the Winter Park Resort will provide a convenient, modern, and enjoyable transportation option. It will be a new way for people to travel back and forth between two thriving areas of town, the Resort and downtown. When complete, the gondola will be a public transportation system that will connect the Mountain Passenger Rail platform at Winter Park Resort to downtown Winter Park. For locals, the project will make commuting to and from the Resort easier and help reduce traffic. It’s also a catalyst for private investment, which will bring more jobs, housing, and opportunity.
As with all other elements of this initiative, bringing this vision to life requires partnership and commitments from both Alterra and the Town of Winter Park.
"The Connect Winter Park gondola will make commuting to and from the Resort easier and help reduce traffic."
The Town of Winter Park has been actively working with Alterra to advance these plans. To solidify the partnership and address future funding needs, Town Council recently approved a Regional Infrastructure Cooperation Agreement (RICA). Essentially, the document spells out the intent of Alterra and the Town of Winter Park to work in good faith to establish funding mechanisms for the completion of Connect Winter Park project.
As Connect Winter Park is considered an investment in regional transportation and connectivity, the RICA takes action to form a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) in cooperation with the Town, metro districts associated with Winter Park Resort and Cooper Creek Village. The RTA will ultimately be the entity that funds and operates the gondola. However, Alterra is responsible for advancing plans for the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the regional transportation improvements on behalf of the RTA. Alterra is also expected to pursue additional and alternative funding for the gondola, including state and federal funds.
