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Q: I have been watching the construction in the Village over
> the last couple months and I think it is going to be awesome, but
> there sure are a lot of old and tired looking buildings surrounding
> this area, isn't that going to impact the overall appeal?
> A: It has been very interesting the past few months to hear
> people's reactions to the Village now that the building masses are
> there and the gondola is taking shape. The reactions range from awe
> to disappointment. One thing for sure is that the decade-plus of
> talking about it is over and the Village is coming to fruition. But
> what we see is just the beginning. And this Village is similar to
> most that Intrawest has been involved with but it is very different
> too. And as we know, Rome wasn't built in a day.
> Eventually all of the surrounding properties will be improved
> but that will take some time. Here are some of the factors that come
> into play. In the evolution of Villages in the past, premium hotels
> do not come along until later in the development cycle because they
> demand higher occupancy rates, so the Village has to evolve and
> create some synergy and momentum to reach those year 'round occupancy
> levels.
> One thing different about Mammoth and this Village is the
> gondola. Many Villages have multiple chairlifts accessing from the
> Village. This Village will have one 15-passenger-per-car, high speed
> lift with a very central location. There is already a large bed base
> surrounding this area in the form of existing condos and homes. And
> getting to the gondola base from many other places places in town
> will be easy via shuttle. So the draw to this lift (and the adjacent
> commercial properties) should be immediate and substantial. This
> should help propel the whole Village evolution.
> Another interesting factor; Intrawest has admitted a dubious
> performance in some of their other past projects here in Mammoth and
> are spending great time and energy going back and fixing things. They
> are really focused on performing at a high level in the Village and
> regaining consumer and community confidence. They should-they are
> going to be the huge commercial landlord and be a partner in all of
> the transient rentals. The annual cash flow potential is tremendous.
> And of recent, the consumer has become much smarter and is now
> demanding a superior product over superior marketing.
> Another factor that plays into what will happen in the
> surrounding areas has to do with the original planning of the North
> Village Specific Plan and the economic realities of development. The
> Plan essentially created a core of density around the gondola base
> with that core having the greatest height allowances, the most
> commercial space and greatest room densities. Those allowances would
> decrease as you moved away from that core. But things change.
> Intrawest once described the gondola termination building as "the
> Eiffel Tower" of Mammoth. That's hardly what we will see built in the
> months to come.
> Conversely, the four corners at Main St. and Minaret(Whiskey
> Creek) seem destined for major first-rate hotels. The developers will
> certainly push for greater densities and the Town will have a hard
> time saying no because of all the bed tax those facilities will
> generate. With architecturally detailed structures on those corners
> and some interesting amenities to go with them, the core could shift.
> An incredible entry statement could be made.
> Some of the "old and tired" buildings you ask about are also
> providing some important short term benefit called employee housing.
> While the Mountain has taken on the construction of new employee
> housing, they will probably always be short, and those old lodges are
> providing valuable beds, at least for now.
> And all you have to do is look around town and see the
> upgrading of both residential and commercial properties. Almost like
> everyone is in competition with the Village-and they are. This is
> bound to continue. Quite frankly the town has never looked better.
> The bar is being raised all around town. And the older properties
> around the Village that will remain will be compelled to upgrade. But
> as land values increase, the junk will certainly be bulldozed.
> I often refer to what is going to happen in the Village as
> the "fun zone". It is going to be a fun place to socialize and people
> watch. It is going to be exciting to watch it all evolve. Just look
> at Whistler and you know it is never truly done. Euphemistically, it
> is the journey and not the destination. But I for one hope that some
> of the old funky buildings stick around for awhile, because that is
> how alot of people want to remember Mammoth.
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