The developers of the Lift One Lodge project in Aspen recorded their final approval documents with Pitkin County in mid-March and can now submit a building permit application to the city, according to city and county records.
The approval documents range from plat maps to subdivision agreements for the project that could include a hotel, residences, dining and other amenities on South Aspen Street.
The documents “outline the location, size and architectural characteristics of the project as well as obligations of the developer in building the project,” according to Jennifer Phelan, a development manager with the City of Aspen.
Phelan is also the city’s representative in stakeholder conversations about the project.
The lodge part of a larger “Lift One Corridor” redevelopment concept near the base of Lift 1A (also known as the Shadow Mountain Lift) could be due for two new hotels, a ski history museum, a new base area and a new chairlift-gondola hybrid that would replace the existing fixed-grip double chairlift.
The Aspen Skiing Company, the Aspen Historical Society, the city of Aspen and the owners of the Lift One Lodge are involved. So is the OKO Group, which bought the Gorsuch Haus site and approvals for a hotel there last year. Final approval documents have already been approved for the OKO Group’s project, but they have not yet locked in a building permit.
Some stakeholders have been meeting weekly for nearly two years to iron out details, Phelan said in an interview on March 24. Those conversations primarily involved the city, SkiCo, the historical society and the developers of Lift One Lodge, “but we have pulled in OKO Group when needed,” Phelan said.
“There's more stakeholder involvement in the Lift One Lodge project because it's city property, Lift One Lodge property, a ski way that runs over a garage. … between the two buildings,” Phelan said.
The historical society’s museum, which would be housed along with SkiCo skier services in a relocated Skier’s Chalet Lodge building, is also linked to the Lift One Lodge project.
“And [the project] goes through a park,” Phelan added.
Now that the final approval documents are in for the Lift One Lodge, stakeholders get a break from weekly meetings, but Phelan has already scheduled a series of meetings to begin in June “to work with SkiCo and the historical society on some items.”
So, what’s next for Lift One Lodge?
“Now that they have their approval documents recorded, their next big hurdle is to get a complete building permit application in to the building department,” Phelan said.
The building permit process is expected to take up to a year to complete, as previously reported.
The developers have a deadline of December 24th, 2025, which is when developers’ vested rights and approvals expire.
As of March 31, representatives of the Lift One Lodge and OKO Group had not responded to several email requests for comment.
