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Q: I hear around town that many of Intrawest's new Villages are a flop (they've even been called ghost towns) and I can see that the one here in Mammoth has a lot of commercial vacancies and there doesn't seem to be too many people around except when it is really busy in town or there is some special event there. What do you think is going on and what is going to happen?
A: One of the biggest problems in society today is the expectation of immediate gratification. North Village in Mammoth is a work in process and of all of the villages Intrawest has been involved with I believe Mammoth's has some of the greatest potential. But Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will North Village. So let's take a look at some of the evolution.
The basic concept of an activity node in the Village location evolved in the late 60's and early 70's when the residential subdivisions between the Village and Canyon Lodge (then "7 & 8") were put to paper and a lift easement was created down the middle of it all. Without that lift easement created back then, the Village Gondola as we know it today would probably never happened.
The momentum really started back in 1991 when the 38 individual properties in that vicinity were assembled in the North Village Specific Plan. The zoning was changed to mandate a resort node and new densities, new height limitations, new design criteria were established. Looking back, it is amazing that all of the varied property owners came to consensus–it was truly a collection of Mammoth's old cowboys and characters. But the economy was so bad here in Mammoth that they really had to band together.
In 1994 the whole Plan was revisited under the influence of Eldon Beck. Mr. Beck wrote the book on resort and village planning. He taught at UC Berkley and was instrumental in the planning of Vail, Whistler and others. His experience taught him that for a village to become a real success it had to have public facilities within or close by that will draw the locals as well as the visitors to the village.
Beck envisioned a multi-purpose facility in the location where the parking lot is today, the one across from the library. His vision was that the facility would have lots of substructure parking underneath. The facility would be like a small arena, with a full sized ice-skating rink that could be easily covered and converted to a convention floor or a venue for musical or cultural events. There would be a covered bridge over the street from the village to the facility. The facility could be used in so many ways during the shoulder seasons to book the bed base of the village. The ice-skating and cultural events would draw the locals into the village. It would be busy and vibrant.
One of Beck's theories was that the visitors will always seek out where the locals are, and if they're not in the village, then they will get in public transportation and go find them. If you think about it, on an evening when the Village might be dead, Roberto's might be packed.
Over the past decade, that concept has been lost. Lots of new comers have come and gone, land has become incredibly valuable and has changed hands, corporate shortsightedness is rampant, administrations change, Beck retired, and all kinds of other things have happened. Today the focus is on more density, brand names, "club" and interval ownership, etc. Build it and they will come. Maybe they will, or maybe it will become a big dysfunctional mess. I wonder what Eldon Beck thinks. I will never forget sitting with him in the ramshackle little office where the Intrawest Discovery Center is today listening to him extol about the potential marriage of village and public amenities.
Another potential death knell for the Village is if the landlord doesn't come to reality on what the rents need to be to make the businesses viable. Any prudent landlord will tell you that a month of vacancy can quickly kill a juicy monthly rent. I was in Whistler in the fall of 1996 to study tenant viability in the village there and learned plenty. California has become an ever increasingly expensive place to do business and Mammoth is still (and always will be) a seasonal economy. And keeping good employees in Mammoth is becoming increasingly costly. All of this impacts what a commercial tenant can afford to pay. The landlord needs to let the businesses get established before they can pay big rents. And that may take some time. They can't get established until occupancies, traffic and synergy increase. And don't forget they are competing against some long established businesses in the balance of Mammoth, many whom have lower rents, easier access and veteran employees–some living in the business-owned housing.
One of the things the Village at Mammoth really does have going for it is the existing bed base and commercial district that already surrounds it. Hundreds of condos and single-family homes, with frequent owner and guest usage, are within a short walking distance. The flailing Intrawest Villages at Squaw Valley and Keystone don't have this base and this is a big reason for their difficulties. Ultimately, the new developments and the existing peripheral bed base should combine for a successful village environment in Mammoth.
Another big question for the Village–will Mammoth ever really become a destination fly-to resort or will it remain primarily a drive-to resort? Villages really cater to visitors who have flown in and arrive with just a suitcase. Getting in and out of the Village with your family-loaded Expedition can be a hassle, but once you're there it should be very enjoyable experience. But fly-in-visitors who will come here during the week and have lots of disposable income are what will really drive the village. Mammoth is a few years away, at minimum, from having that in place.
In the meantime, construction of more and more impressive resort facilities will continue and the businesses will get sorted out as things grow. The whole environment will eventually come alive on a daily basis. It could even get crazy. No, it will get crazy. Then people will complain that it is too busy. Then you can say, "I remember when…"
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