East West Partners’ One Riverfront project in Avon to use electricity for all its operations

As Eagle County’s local governments adjust their building codes toward electrification, a separate project in Avon is ahead of that pace.

Avon-based East West Partners is nearing completion of One Riverfront, a five-story townhome and condo building near The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa. The project is aimed in large part at vacation-home buyers, and amenities include a rooftop bar.

Everything in the new building runs on electricity, from the kitchen appliances to the hot tub heaters. Even the fireplaces are electric, using lights and mirrors to mimic an actual flame. All the stoves have induction cooktops, which are claimed to provide more even heat for home cooks.

---

---

Jim Telling, the managing partner of East West’s Vail Valley operations, said the One Riverfront project is part of a company-wide effort to go all-electric in all the company’s new buildings. That work includes a project in Snowmass as well as one in Charleston, South Carolina.

In addition to using electricity as the sole power source, Telling noted that One Riverfront also includes rooftop solar panels in order to put less strain on the electric grid.

---

---

“We did as much as we could with the roof pitch and orientation,” Telling said.

As technology continues to improve, Telling noted that costs have come down, improving the business case for the work.

“There’s a little bit of incremental cost … but everything is becoming so much more efficient.”

Going all-electric also hasn’t affected sales.

“We’ve had no pushback from any of our buyers,” Telling said.

The commitment to electrification is just part of a drive toward sustainability. Telling said One Riverfront will eventually be net-zero in operations, which means the building negates what would normally be its greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions.

East West founder and chairman Harry Frampton said the company has for a while focused on sustainability efforts, but One Riverfront is the firm’s first all-electric project in the Vail Valley.

“We’ve committed ourselves to net zero everywhere,” Frampton said. “And we’re learning a lot.”

Frampton noted that East West’s Electric Pass project in Snowmass is completely sold out.

All-electric efforts don’t happen in just one corporate office. Frampton credited the project’s architects and engineers, and cited a “great partnership” with Holy Cross Energy in the drive to meet sustainability goals.

Frampton added that East West is also working with Walking Mountains Science Center to bring a sustainability focus to many of its operations using the “Actively Green” program.

“Credit to Walking Mountains,” Frampton said. “They’re developing programs for housekeeping, engineering and other operations.”

“We’ve done all kind of stuff at the Westin (in Avon),” Frampton said. Frampton’s favorite step is reducing the number of plastic water bottles that the property has given away. Just a couple of years ago, the hotel gave out 100,000 water bottles in a year.

“We decided ‘no more,'” Frampton said. Now, the hotel’s water bottle distribution is right about zero.

“It’s been a non-issue,” Frampton said of guest reaction, adding it would be “fantastic” if the rest of the valley’s lodging properties took the same actions.

Frampton added he’d like to see other developers where East West does business adopt similar tactics.

While One Riverfront is aimed primarily at second-home owners and guests, the East West sustainability formula will extend to a local project.

East West earlier this year announced it’s working on West End, a 5.3-acre property in Edwards. That project is projected to add 275 studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Frampton said that project will also be all-electric, adding he expects the project could earn its county approvals in 2024.