NEWS: City to replace Van Tuyl bridge next year, A13
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Front Range developer eyes parcel in west Gunnison Urban Villages Villages President Jon Buerge. The 25-acre parcel is on the in early planning west edge of town off Thornton Way, adjacent to Gunnison stages Gardens. Jeff Hermanson, Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
The Denver-based real estate investment firm and developer, Urban Villages, is looking to turn one of the City of Gunnison’s last large vacant parcels into workforce housing. It has yet to lay out detailed plans, or determine if the project is financially feasible, said
a Crested Butte entrepreneur and partner at Villages, has owned the parcel for nearly two decades, under the LLC Sher man Street Holdings. Villages has been gathering feedback from the valley’s major employers to determine exactly what type of housing would best serve the Gunnison Valley workforce, Buerge said. Development A6
POLKA PALS: The Pete Dunda Band brought a hopping polka performance to the Gunnison Bank and Trust’s Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 27. The trio wore traditional German lederhosen for the event. For more, see B4. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
TAPP forecasts GORP Act TODAY tourism slowdown introduced in INSIDE
NEWS: Local candidate up for 7th Judicial DA, A12
COMMUNITY: Fairview Schoolhouse back in session, B1
Plans to center more advertising on Gunnison gravel biking Bella Biondini Times Editor
SPORTS: GHS volleyball defeats Bruins, B6
OBITUARIES A2 OPINION A4 CLASSIFIEDS A16-A21 SPORTS B6 ONLINE GUNNISONTIMES.COM
News of a visitation slowdow n is spreading across the Mountain West and the Gunnison Valley may not be immune for much longer. Many resort communities saw a significant downturn in both sales tax collections and hotel stays during the summer season. This followed a decrease in lift ticket sales last winter, with early data from Vail Resorts showing that the upcoming ski season may also
be slower than usual. While the Gunnison Valley is faring much better than others in the region, tourism officials worry that the momentum may eventually stall without new amenities to attract vacationers. And the competition is on, especially in Colorado. Owners announced plans to invest up to $100 million in the Purgatory Resort in Durango over the next decade. Nearby, thanks to a $14 million makeover, the Durango Hot Springs Resort and Spa can now accommodate even more visitors. In Aspen, base areas have been renovated, terrain expanded and new lifts built. Steamboat’s recent $220-million redevelopment project included a new, 10-person base-to-summit gondola. While others are pumping millions into their ski resort and other nearby ameSlowdown A6
Senate Bill for county public lands more than decade in making Bella Biondini Times Editor
A new federal public lands bill, with a genesis in Gunnison County, would further protect more than 700,000 acres on Colorado’s Western Slope. O n Thurs day, S ept. 26, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet i nt ro d u c e d t h e Gu n n i s o n Outdoor Resources Protection
(GORP) Act in the U.S. Senate. The legislation, more than a decade in the works, would add another layer of protection to Gunnison County’s 2.5 millionacres network of public lands. The act also includes portions of neighboring Delta and Hinsdale counties. “If you spend any time in Gunnison, you know how spectacular these public lands are and how central they are to that community's way of life … At the heart of every discussion over the bill was a shared respect for the generations before us who preserved these lands and a shared responsibility to future generations,” Bennet said during a press call. GORP Act A9
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