| Elkhorn Lodge status stirs up some dust in Estes Park Frank Theis of the Elkhorn Project, Inc. Summer attractions include a zip-line, alpine coaster (year-round), mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. Theis hopes which will allay concerns and rumors that have surfaced in the last week concerning the future of the old hotel. Theis is a member of the initial board of directors of the EPI, which is seeking to obtain state Regional Tourism Act (RTA) funding to produce a year-round adventure park on the property and refurbish the Elkhorn Lodge. com ), this group brings a huge amount of experience in real estate development and management, ski area management, non-profit management and finance to vie with other areas in the state, to receive tax-increment funding under the RTA. Historic Lodge Restoration: The main lodge will reopen with a restaurant and bar, banquet hall, gift shop and 24 guest rooms. Talking points from the Association of Responsible Development (ARD) on the issue include: Although Estes Park's economy is located upon tourism, we have had a significant number of jobs in the building industry building homes in the Estes Valley. According to the State's Third Party Economic Analysis, the $41 million of improvements which are included in the Elkhorn Project would create 258 full-time construction jobs and an additional 113. A hearing was held in Denver yesterday, beginning the public comment period on the EPI at the state's Economic Development Commission. The first 2012 public hearing meeting took input on the group of contenders with RTA applications. There are only so many maintenance positions available. 2 full-time indirect and secondary jobs. Directors say the proposed Elkhorn Project is a unique family vacation destination at the west end of downtown Estes Park, designed to increase winter tourism to Estes Park through preservation of the historic Elkhorn Lodge and its many buildings, the development of a ski and sport adventure park and the development of cultural attractions in Estes Park with a cultural heritage museum and performing arts center. Due to the part-time nature of their employment, many employees don't qualify for health care insurance. However, in the winter months, these rates drop to the low 20-percent range. The Elkhorn Project takes advantage of our ability to serve visitors by extending the tourist season into the winter months. Nothing has changed; it's a legal state application. This would be a significant improvement in the Estes Valley's construction industry. The economic analysis prepared for the Elkhorn Project by Doug Kennedy Advisors concluded that the construction phase alone would result in net new state sale tax revenues of $232,000 from transactions within the RTA Zone. Estes Park already has the infrastructure of municipal services, restaurants, retail shops and lodging to support more than 3,000,000 visitors each year. However, perhaps of even greater importance, is the impact that this has on employment. During the summer months, our lodging facilities have occupancy rates in excess of 90 percent. According to the EPI website (elkhornproject. Adventure Park: The Elkhorn Adventure Park is a 50-acre, European-style, outdoor recreation area, with a focus on affordability and education. A ski school will offer lessons year-round. Cultural Center: A new cultural arts center will be created for Estes Park, with a performing arts center and living history museum located in a parklike setting along Fall River. The Regional Tourism Act (RTA) of 2009 authorizes up to two projects to be approved in the state of Colorado, to receive incremental tax revenue from the state. Both the State's Third Party Analyst confirmed theElkhorn Project's own economic analysis that the project, once operating, would create more than 370 Full-Time Equivalent jobs. This seasonality creates extreme business challenges to our lodging operators. Much of this job creation comes from our lodging operators being able to extend their current seasonal employment into year-round positions. Like many Colorado mountain communities, Estes Park's economic activity is seasonal. " . Lodging operators struggle to find employees in the summer months, but then must lay off most of their employees during the winter months. "We haven't changed the RTA application," Theis said. It is often a period in which businesses fail or are closed for the season, with their employees being laid off. . |
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Elkhorn Lodge status stirs up some dust in Estes Park
