Building on momentum from a downtown master plan, and fresh from negotiations with ski-related entities, Ketchum city officials are preparing to move ahead with a plan to restore the Warm Springs base of Bald Mountain to its former social and economic glory.
The city has been in talks with Sun Valley Co., The Water Co.—which owns a major geothermal resource—and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation to collaborate on the execution of a new vision for the economically depressed area.
Included in that vision is making Warm Springs Village and the adjacent ski area a leader in alpine and Nordic ski education, as well as tapping into geothermal resources for energy and aesthetics.
Mayor Randy Hall read a prepared statement on the plan during at a City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20.
"Sun Valley Co. and the city of Ketchum are working together to re-energize Warm Springs," he said. "Together, we will pursue improvements and new construction in commercial, hospitality, streetscapes, pedestrian amenities and residential components of Warm Springs Village. This work will be focused on Picabo Street and Sun Valley Co. land on the south side of Warm Springs Creek."
The collaboration envisions a high-profile winter sports education and training institute on Sun Valley Co. property.
"The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation will take the lead in establishing this institute through relocation and expansion of our existing facilities," Don Wiseman, the foundation's executive director, said in the statement. "Our priority, as we've done for 40 years, is to be the nation's best winter sports training program for the youth of the Wood River Valley and to expand our programs to help athletes reach national and Olympic teams."
Wiseman, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said he was energized by the process and excited by the possibilities.
"In the last six months the Ciminos (a local philanthropic family) and Sun Valley Co. have all come together with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation," he said. "It's just thrilling to us the possibility of where this can take us. I hope the community gets behind us."
The revamped area will be served by geothermal energy, both as a utility and as an amenity, according to preliminary plans outlined in the mayor's statement.
The Cimino family established an agreement with the city—through its majority-owned firm, The Water Co.—to tap into the major geothermal resource on family property in Warm Springs.
"I think what the city is planning to do will be good for all of us," Jim Cimino said in the statement. "It's a wonderful resource that should be used by everybody."
Warm Springs Village will become a demonstration site for how to use geothermal energy, according to the mayor's statement.
The city since last summer has been looking for ways to use geothermal resources for energy and recreation. The City Council discussed during a retreat last August the idea of finding and using renewable resources for public use. At that retreat, they placed the issue of a Warm Springs master plan on a four- to six-month to-do list.
Public access to heated pools will be one of the highlights of the enhanced and expanded village, Hall said. Geothermal sources could also heat sidewalks, the plaza and streets, and might provide water for hot-water fountains.
Warm Springs Village along Picabo Street is envisioned to have more of a plaza feel with a variety of activities and possibly a hotel to reinvigorate it.
Ketchum developer Brian Barsotti revealed in December plans for a hotel on his property in Warm Springs Village, saying it was integral to a revitalized scene there. But after the council discussed hotel-related ordinances later in the evening Tuesday, Barsotti said he was discouraged about hotel development being viable under the new regulations.
Still, city officials are celebrating the collaborative agreement.
"We intend to make this a year-round vibrant destination to celebrate sports special to this area, with such amenities as large screen outdoor video, push cart vendors representing local merchants and, of course, the presence of geothermal," Hall said. "We're going to justify the village's name."
Hall said the plan is in its early stages and will take much public input and planning before moving forward.
"We want our citizens to help us complete the picture of what Warm Springs Village will become," he said. "While we're determined to help it come alive as never before, we're excited to have our residents and devoted visitors help us refine the vision."
A series of public meetings and a design workshop are being planned over the next several months.
The first is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Warm Springs Lodge, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The city expects the master planning process to take about six months.
