Target signals interest in complex at Eagle
EAGLE, Colo. -- A developer who proposes a major shopping center at Eagle now has a letter of intent from Target, the big-box retailer.
The letter confirms that Target would be the 132,000-square-foot anchor tenant of a commercial development called Eagle River Station. The complex, as proposed, would have 552,000 square feet. Paul Witt, a spokesman for RED Development, said Target's letter of intent should generate interest from local, regional and national retailers.
However, Eagle has yet to approve the project, notes the Eagle Valley Enterprise. Major commercial development at the site, currently a hay field along Interstate 70, has been discussed for five years, with one project rejected by town voters.
The Target, if built, will be the third along I-70 in the mountains.
Realty agents shuffle as firms consolidate
ASPEN, Colo. -- Real estate agents in Aspen have been busier than free agents in Major League Baseball during the last month, says The Aspen Times. The newspaper reports several agents have jumped ship, going to new firms.
While such peripatetic behavior is common among real estate agents, the jumping to and fro this year has been instigated by the shuttering of two major and long-tenured companies: Aspen Sotheby's International Reality and Coates, Reid and Waldron.
Robert Ritchie, a veteran of more than 30 years in Aspen real estate, told the newspaper that he believes several more firms could vanish during further consolidations.
However, Ritchie said he "probably" expects to see more activity in 2009 than in 2008, simply because the recession is forcing some owners to sell. Plus, for some, Aspen real estate looks to be a better investment than the stock market.
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Aspen preparing to put tax on shopping bags
ASPEN, Colo. -- A plan to impose a fee of between 5 and 25 cents per shopping bag has been approved in concept by the Aspen City Council. Details are being worked out, with the intent that it will become a model ordinance that other towns might want to adopt.
Aspen's Community Office of Resource Efficiency, a non-profit group with strong ties to local government, proposed the fee as a way to prod consumers. A voluntary program, such as was promoted by the organization last summer, just isn't enough, CORE representative Nathan Ratledge told the council.
"The goal is not to create a burden, but just enough incentive to change habits, and we are looking for government support to change that habit," he said.
The Aspen Times explains that the fee, as currently proposed, would be imposed at high-volume stores, such as grocers, and perhaps some smaller retailers.
Ratledge says that a fee on plastic bags imposed in Ireland, along with an educational campaign, resulted in 90 percent fewer plastic bags. He compared it to the cultural shift that makes it impolite in some places not to scoop your dog's poop.
Lodges to get upgrades in Aspen, Breckenridge
ASPEN, Colo. -- Construction is forecast to slow down substantially in ski towns, but it won't come to a screeching halt.
Aspen's marquee hotel, The Little Nell, will get an $18 million remodel this summer, as energy efficiency measures are instituted and the 86 units are upgraded. The hotel is 20 years old.
The 235 residential units and 28 commercial units in the Village at Breckenridge will also be refurbished, although not until next year. The cost estimate is $19 million, although managers hope lower costs for labor, construction and financing will yield a 15 to 20 percent price deduction.
Tony Wait, the general manager of the homeowners association at the project, said the five buildings had a "70s-type feel" that will be replaced by a theme described as "mountain elegance with historic features." In keeping with the times, there will be a "village" in all this.
Telluride air portal to get a larger terminal
MONTROSE, Colo. --Telluride's air portal is getting upgraded this summer. Most travelers to Telluride fly to Montrose Regional Airport, whose terminal bursts at the seams during winter months. The Telluride Watch reports that $3 million -- 95 percent of it coming from federal and state funds -- will be spent to expand the terminal. Lloyd Arnold, the airport's director of aviation, was careful to point out that the federal money does not come from taxes, but from fees upon airline travelers.
Three wolves killed in Banff
BANFF, Alberta -- Three wolves have been struck and killed this winter on the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park. Park officials told the Rocky Mountain Outlook that the wolf was likely part of a pack that had downed a moose that had been seen standing in the middle of the Bow River looking frightened. Although much of the highway through Banff is fenced to keep wildlife off the pavement, portions of it are not.
