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Vail to weigh $9.3 million in projects

Lauren Glendenning
lglendenning@vaildaily.com
Vail, CO Colorado

VAIL, Colorado – The Vail Town Council expects to have a ballot question ready this spring asking voters whether to spend the $9.3 million conference center funds on a series of projects.

The projects, which include a remodel of the Vail Golf Clubhouse, a remodel and expansion of the Vail Village Welcome Center, upgraded technology throughout town to enhance guest experiences, a Dobson Ice Arena expansion and renovation and a Ford Park expansion, were part of recommendations that Vail resident and former town councilman Kent Logan presented to the council in September.

Since then, town of Vail staff have worked with prospective partners to figure out whether the projects are feasible and whether they fulfill the originally intended goal for the $9.3 million, which is to drive economic activity in Vail and increase hotel room stays.



The Vail Town Council showed interest and support for all of the proposed projects Tuesday, except for the Dobson Arena renovation, a project that Town Manager Stan Zemler said seems to have more challenges than anticipated.

“I’m not sure we’re landing on something that creates a major new opportunity for things to happen there,” Zemler said.

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Councilman Kevin Foley said that if the town can’t make a difference with the $2 million slated for that project, then it should allocate the funds to a project that can make a difference.

While several council members agreed with Foley, Zemler said the town staff would come back with more details about the projects in early January. That information should be enough for council members to decide which project ideas they’d like to see move forward in anticipation of a ballot question.

The conference center funds were raised through a special lodging and sales tax approved by voters in 2002 that were originally expected to be used to build a conference center. The town stopped collecting the tax in 2006 after voters defeated a ballot question to build a conference center.

Community Editor Lauren Glendenning can be reached at lglendenning@vaildaily.com.


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