Winter
Exciting things are happening at Sun Valley! Always vibrant and forward thinking, right now the Resort has so many initiatives and developments going on, they needed a spot to showcase them. The Project Preview Center located in the Sun Valley Village, just across from the Konditorei, is the place to learn about what’s happening on Bald Mountain, in the Village, and beyond. Curious? Then go check it out!
Exciting things are happening in Sun Valley both on and off the mountain! Come get a look at what’s to come at the Project Preview Center in the Village
Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the Project Preview Center (open now until September 9 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and then daily, please check for hours) to learn how Sun Valley is embracing the future, investing in the community, and enhancing the guest experience.
A self-guided tour at the Project Preview Center will keep you current on projects in Cold Spring Canyon, at the Sun Valley Inn, the Warm Springs Lodge, and more
On the embracing the future front, one of the most exciting developments currently underway in Sun Valley is the Cold Springs Canyon Project on Baldy. Whether you love to ski, ride, or ride your mountain bike, the expansion of terrain on the Cold Springs side of the hill will have you super stoked. This expansion increases skiable terrain by 380 pristine acres, and these acres include a wide-open bowl, extensive tree skiing and deep chutes, as well as locals-favorite, Turkey Bowl. The amazing mountain team is also extending Lower Broadway an additional 3,400 feet, giving those who love Sun Valley’s famous groomers more places to explore. They are calling this a ski area within a ski area that will be served by a new high-speed detachable lift, connecting the area seamlessly and quickly (six minutes!) to The Roundhouse restaurant, the Christmas lift and the Roundhouse Express gondola. Project completion is anticipated for the fall of 2019 and the replacement of the Cold Springs (#4) lift is scheduled for next summer. And speaking of summer, this expansion makes the fat tire nirvana that is Sun Valley, even more fun on two wheels. The lower portion of the existing Cold Springs bike trail was reconfigured this summer, adding new singletrack and shaded riding, improving the climbing and descending – a boon for a broad range of mountain bikers.
Be on the lookout this coming winter season for the “Experience Cold Springs Canyon” guided tours to get to know this awesome part of the mountain and see what’s coming next. Advanced skiers are invited to preview the area with professional mountain guides. Stay tuned for more information!
Having a hard time picturing all the stoke-worthy changes on Baldy? Displays at the Project Center make it easy to see what you have to look forward to
An additional 18 acres of gladed skiing is also coming online thanks to the partnership between Sun Valley Resort and the United States Forest Service and their Healthy Forests Initiative. The initiative improves the health of the forest on Baldy by clearing overstocked vegetation and trees and as a great sidelight, opens up more places to play in the snow. Overall, this initiative has added 81 acres of additional terrain to the mountain, while reducing hazards and destructive insects.
At the Project Preview Center, you can also get a glimpse of the new and improved Warm Springs Lodge, currently under reconstruction and renovation. After a fire sparked just days after the close of the 2017-18 season, this beloved day lodge required rebuilding and instead of simply recreating what was there, Sun Valley is formulating an even better guest experience. The seating and dining areas are expanding (more places to take that legendary fresh cookie break!), and a more efficient layout of the servery will make grabbing a delicious breakfast or lunch easier than ever. The popular bar is moving to the front of the building with stunning views of the mountain. Cheers to that! The Sun Valley SnowSports School desk is also relocating to a more convenient spot that will have direct access to the outside of the building. Warm Springs Lodge has always been great, now it will be even better!
The rebuilding of the iconic Warm Springs Lodge will include expanded seating and dining areas and even more ways to enjoy a famous fresh-from-the-oven cookie or an après ski beer
Back in the Village, following the complete reimagining of the Sun Valley Lodge in 2015, the Resort next moved to giving the popular Sun Valley Inn the same treatment. The first phase of renovations was completed last winter, and now it’s onto Phase II! The first phase saw the complete redesign of 25 guest rooms for the modern, discerning guest, as well as the completion of the Village Station restaurant and a major update to The Ram restaurant and The Ram Bar. The second phase begins in September 2018, with a projected completion of January 2019. The remaining 80 guests room will be outfitted with the same sophisticated décor, carpeting, and wall coverings as the first phase. Everything will be fresh and brand new while retaining the traditional look and feel of the historic hotel. A new fitness center and a new archway to connect the Village to Inn parking (like the one at the original 1937 Challenger Inn – very exciting to those of us who remember this convenient thoroughfare from the past!) are also planned.
The second phase of renovations are underway at the Sun Valley Inn. Beautifully appointed guest rooms that retain the look and feel of the historic hotel will welcome discerning visitors and a new fitness center will add to the Inn experience
Also on display at the Project Preview Center are plans for extensive new employee housing. Sun Valley is investing in its most valuable asset – its people – as it’s no secret that affordable housing in mountain and resort towns is scarce, making it difficult for people to live and work in these communities. To address this, Sun Valley is constructing two brand-new, well-appointed employee residences with a winter 2018-19 completion date on the first and spring 2019 for the second. This will add rooms for more than 575 employees living and working at the Resort. The new buildings, located adjacent to the Horseman’s Center, will feature not only comfortable dorm or apartment style living, but a fitness room, lounges, lockers, laundry facilities, basketball courts and playing fields. Solar panels are being installed to make the buildings more environmentally efficient.
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Sun Valley is also actively investing in its most valuable asset, its employees, with beautiful and forward-thinking new employee housing
There is so much going on in Sun Valley and the future here is as bright as the Sun Valley sun! If you don’t have a moment to stop into the Project Center, information about all the exciting upcoming developments can be found at https://www.sunvalley.com/futureplans.
Living the motto, "Continuing our legacy by building for the future", Sun Valley’s future is now!
