Vice President of Development for Extell Brooke Hontz said the plan is to begin building a chairlift next spring.
“The intention is this would be a state-of-the-art, beautiful lift that would take you right from the base of the ski beach between the Mayflower existing lift at Deer Valley and the Sultan base, so you would have the ability to ski to either of those or back down toward the ski beach at Mayflower,” she said.
Even though it’s right next to Deer Valley, Mayflower will be its own self-contained resort.
Emily Summers, Senior Communications Manager at Deer Valley Resort, tells KPCW no agreement has been reached with Extell regarding operation of the Mayflower ski area, and she added there’s no deadline in place for a decision.
“The question that we’re asked over and over again,” Extell Senior Vice President of Development Kurt Krieg said, “is, ‘What about the future of skiing and the operator?’ And we’ve been working with our operators out at Alterra Rusty Gregory, chief operator, and a new gentleman named Jared Smith, who’s the president, Todd Shallan and Jeremy here locally have all been good, and I think we’re making great progress, so I think in a couple of months, if we can figure all of this out, then hopefully we’ll have a positive announcement on the future of skiing.”
The Mayflower development is one of the largest developments underway in Utah right now. Plans include nearly 1,600 residential units, 825 hotel rooms and 250,000 square feet of retail and conference space.
The resort got its start as a military-focused year-round, full-service resort. It’s been in the works for more than 20 years, starting when the small 12-room bungalow at Snowbasin Resort was torn down to accommodate the 2002 Olympics.
Krieg said some of the rooms in the new hotel will be reserved exclusively for active and retired members of the military at prices they can afford.
Extell has partnered with MIDA, the Military Installation Development Authority, which is a state agency overseeing the development of military land in Utah.
MIDA’s Board of Directors have approved up to $260 million in bonds which will be paid back over 30 years. It will be paid through a tax increment program developed with Wasatch County.
Krieg said some of the $260 million will pay for infrastructure and three hotels. As many as four more hotels could be built at the resort later.
In addition to the military hotel and conference center, construction is taking place at the Pioche apartments near the Jordanelle gondola with 402 market rate apartments. Another 115 residential units at the Pioche Village parcel has been sold to a separate developer.
According to a press release from Extell Utah, in the first five years, the projected capital investment into the project will be more than $3.2 billion. Eighty-five percent of the funding is privately sourced through Extell Utah and other developers.
