Deer Valley Resort is pursuing the development of a major workforce housing project along a busy Park City road corridor.
The project is known as Ski Rail, a reference to the site’s proximity to the Rail Trail, and is slated to be located at 1555 Lower Iron Horse Loop Road. Deer Valley owns the land and operates a laundry facility there.
Deer Valley is seeking to develop a project with at least 200 beds. The timeline for construction will depend on the review process.
The Ski Rail proposal is linked to Deer Valley’s plans for a major construction site outside Snow Park Lodge. City Hall is demanding a block of workforce housing as part of a project like the one proposed at Snow Park.
“We are committed to investing in the future of Deer Valley and meeting the needs of our employees and community through the proposed affordable master plan development,” said Susie English, Deer Valley’s vice president of marketing, of the Ski Rail project. “Our plan not only exceeds the minimum housing requirements for the Snow Park redevelopment, but also ensures that the housing is conveniently located along transportation routes with direct access to Deer Valley. By locating the housing within a half-mile of essential services, we aim to provide our employees with a vibrant urban living experience, improving their quality of life while keeping them connected to the community.”
The site is close to numerous businesses in the Prospector District, Iron Horse District and along the Kearns Boulevard corridor.
It is almost certain that the review process will relate to traffic. Access to the site is via Bonanza Drive, one of the busiest roads in the city and a road that regularly experiences traffic jams during the morning and afternoon rush hours. There may also be difficulty turning from side streets onto Bonanza Drive during rush hours.
There could be questions about the impact of building so many new homes so close to Bonanza Drive. Nearby residents may also be concerned about additional traffic on Bonanza Drive and in the Iron Horse area. However, businesses near the site may view job development in Deer Valley as a potential customer expansion in the immediate area.
The proposal is another element of Deer Valley’s aggressive push to transform the resort. The concept for the site outside of Snow Park calls for the development of a new base. Large garages would be built to replace the parking spaces lost through development of the properties.
Deer Valley and City Hall officials agreed in 2023 to establish a public-private partnership in the areas of transportation and housing. City Hall and Deer Valley will each contribute $15 million as part of the partnership.
The resort is now expanding off US 40, in Wasatch County, with the Deer Valley East Village.
Deer Valley will host a Ski Rail Open House scheduled for Tuesday, August 13th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at 1555 Lower Iron Horse Loop. RSVP at: https://tinyurl.com/48vmts7m.
