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Is Aspen worth it?

Alycin Bektesh
/
Aspen Public Radio

As the largest employer in the valley, the Aspen Skiing Company has a lot of heft when it comes to local issues. From endorsing ballot measures, to providing housing, to driving the economy, the character of the resort is in many ways synonymous with the company. Now, SkiCo is working to fully understand the community it defines.

 

A group of young Aspen professionals gathered at Justice Snow’s restaurant last week. Leading the get together was Michael Miracle, who transitioned into his role as Aspen Skiing Company’s Director of Community Engagement last fall.

He brought this group together to ask: “What’s great about living in the valley? What’s hard?”

Participants said they love that feeling of really being part of a community and, of course, nature. What’s hard is housing. The newest valley resident said she is already asking herself, “Is Aspen worth the sacrifice?”

“I think more people have been confronted with that question over the years than people realize because the people who decided that it wasn’t worth it, they left,” said Miracle to Aspen Public Radio after the event.

As part of his role, Miracle is tasked with providing a two-way street of information. He reaches out to residents and brings concerns back to the company, but he also makes sure community conversations are less hear-say and more fact-based. When it comes to issues of parking, the future of the Pitkin County airport and housing, he can provide context and data to inform community conversations.

“[In] this valley, people tend to make anecdotal observations,” he said.

During the winter season SkiCo employs almost 4,000 people. Getting a handle on life in the valley isn’t just for good PR - it’s good business.

“The happier people are in communities in this valley the better business will be for Aspen Skiing Company,” he said. “It’s going to mean happier employees. Happier employees mean happier guests.”

As a microcosm of the valley as a whole, SkiCo has an unsteady future. The majority of its retirement-age employees live in free-market housing. Which means jobs will be opening up but housing won’t. Along with the aging workforce, the resort’s guests are older too. SkiCo hasn’t found a way to convince millennials and young professionals that Aspen is worth it. Those who do come to visit face the same issues as the young local population does - Where do you get a cheap meal? Where do you go to socialize over a beer, maybe meet a date? Where can you sit with your laptop to get some work done?

While the conversation was lively with the local insiders at Justice Snow’s last week, solutions to valley issues don’t flow as fast. Even making everything affordable and accessible isn’t a viable option, because Aspen can’t support a million person population.

“If everyone could come here and stay here and be here, they would. This is a highly highly desireable place to be,” said Miracle.

You can reach Michael Miracle by email mmiracle@aspensnowmass.com or by phone at 970-300-7105.

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