Park City will have a 2014-15 ski season.
Park City Mountain Resort’s owners on Tuesday said they will pay a $17.5 million bond as they fight a court-ordered eviction.
The bond payment allows the resort to operate on more than 2,800 acres owned by its longtime landlord, Talisker Land Holdings. A Utah district judge this summer evicted Park City Mountain Resort from the land — more than two-thirds of its ski terrain — after the resort failed to properly renew its lease in 2011. The bond will keep the resort open while it appeals.
“Our goal has always been to keep PCMR open for the upcoming 2014-15 season and beyond,” Park City Mountain Resort president Jenni Smith said in an e-mailed statement. “Paying the bond ordered by the judge will provide our employees, the Park City community and our many guests the certainty they’ve been waiting for about our upcoming ski season.”
But, Smith said, the bond “is only a short-term solution.”
Talisker wants Vail Resorts, which leases the company’s neighboring Canyons resort, to operate a ski area on the land beneath Park City Mountain Resort. Vail is in court-ordered mediation with Park City Mountain Resort owner Powdr Corp. in tough negotiations over the future of the land.
Powdr owns the land at the base of Park City Mountain Resort, where it joins the village of Park City. And Powdr’s owners have said they are not interested in selling or leasing that land. If the eviction is upheld, Vail Resorts has access to the top of the Park City ski area and has expressed that it is not interested in selling or leasing that land.
The obvious scenarios of a compromise include one of those resort operators losing ground. Both sides say they are working in good faith toward a solution.
In a statement, Talisker and Vail said they “applaud” Park City Mountain Resort for posting the bond.
“Talisker and Vail look forward to continuing to work with PCMR on a long-term resolution to this situation for the benefit of the employees, guests and the entire Park City community,” read a statement provided by Talisker attorney John Lund.
Jason Blevins: 303-954-1374, jblevins@denverpost.com or
