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There's a lot at stake as $3 billion ski village at Killington takes shape

A computerized rendering shows proposed buildings at the base of Killington ski area that will be part of a new mountain village.
Great Gulf Killington
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Courtesy
A rendering of the planned mountain village that Great Gulf calls LiveKillington. Plans for the development, which have been in the works for decades, will center on 45 acres around the Snowshed and Ramshead base areas. The most recent design, pictured above, was crafted by Safdie Architects and PWP Landscape Architecture. Great Gulf Killington expects to release finalized designs and begin the permit process later this year.

Killington, the state's largest ski resort, has seen a lot of recent changes. In September, the ski resort was sold for an undisclosed sum to a group of private investors, many with local ties.

In 2023, Great Gulf, a Canadian developer paid $43 million to purchase 1,095 acres of land, including land and development rights at the base of the Killington mountain with hopes to do something many other developers have tried and failed to do — build a ski village in Killington, with new condos, homes, shops, restaurants and what Great Gulf is calling the largest “ski beach” in the East.

The idea of a ski village at Killington, the state’s largest ski resort, has been around for decades.

Even Preston Smith, who opened Killington in the late 1950s, had some village designs made in the 1960s. But over the years, all the various plans fell through.

Great Gulf Killington
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Courtesy
An artist rendering of some of the outdoor activities that will be developed by Great Gulf Killington as part of their proposed mountain village.

But local officials today, despite some hiccups and delays, feel a lot more confident that it’s finally going to happen. They point to a combination of town investment and Great Gulf’s plans and corporate portfolio.

The town has invested some $80 million into improving local infrastructure. They’re putting in a new municipal water supply system and improving the roads, all to lay the foundation for the high-density development that would be part of a new ski village.

Phase one 

Town and resort officials say there's a lot riding on getting the village plans right, starting with the first phase.

The first phase will include approximately 720 residential units — a mix of ski-in ski-out condos, duplexes and single family homes — and a large new base lodge and 110,000 square feet of retail and dining space, said Michael Sneyd, President, Resort Residential Division at Great Gulf. Great Gulf also plans to develop walking and biking trails, fitness centers, spas and a wooded amphitheater.

A man with glasses and a black fleece jacket stands on a snowy balcony overlooking land that will be turned into a ski village.
Nina Keck
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Vermont Public
Michael Sneyd, President, Resort Residential Division at Great Gulf and Great Gulf Killington, stands in front of land that his firm hopes to turn into a new mountain village at Killington. Sneyd says over the course of 20 to 25 years, Great Gulf plans to invest some $3 billion into construction of a four season residential, shopping and recreational hub.

Sneyd says they also plan to create an extra long ski beach running over the Killington access road. A ski beach is a flat area of snow that makes it easier for skiers to get around and provides areas to relax and picnic.

More from Brave Little State: How has Vail’s acquisition of Vermont ski areas — Okemo, Stowe and Mount Snow — impacted locals?

Depending on how long the local and state permit process takes, construction on the first phase could begin in 2026.

The previous owner of the land, SP Land Company, did get Act 250 approval for a ski village they wanted to build on the property. Observers including Jim Haff, Killington town select board chair and zoning commissioner, believe that may make it easier for Great Gulf to go through the process.

Great Gulf Killington
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Courtesy
Great Gulf Killington
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Courtesy

Great Gulf took the older existing village plans and hired Safdie Architects, a Massachusetts-based architectural design firm, to improve upon them.

"And they came back with a new master plan for the village that had half a dozen significant improvements,” Sneyd said. That includes shifting Killington road, having one ski lodge instead of two, having walkways around the pond, and keeping the village retail area car- and bus-free.

Killington town officials were expecting to be well into the local review and permit process by now. But Great Gulf — which is part of the group of investors that purchased the ski resort itself in September — recently announced that they were delaying things for a year.

Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, said after looking at Great Gulf’s new base lodge plans, they asked the developer to make the building larger and change some elements. He said they learned a lot building their Peak Lodge and new Killington base lodge.

“This village is going to be around for 100 years, we want to make sure we get it right,” said Solimano. "Sometimes, when you have architects working on things, you know, they're working on aesthetics and not really functionality of the lodge. So I think that's where a lot of the kind of give and take is, and how operationally is the building working, you know, especially from a food and beverage standpoint.”

Groups of people walk along a paved tree lined pathway during the fall.
Great Gulf Killington
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Courtesy
Great Gulf Killington says creating a four season resort with lots of outdoor activities year-round will help grow the local economy beyond the ski season.

The years ahead 

Eventually, Sneyd says they can potentially build up to 2,300 residential units with a projected investment of about $3 billion.

"That $3 billion of construction investment is going to generate 3,800 construction jobs in Vermont over a 25-year period," said Sneyd. "And then once the village is built in year 10, the hospitality side takes over the whole property, management, the rental, the hospitality — and we project 1,500 hospitality jobs. Those would be permanent jobs going forward.”

Great Gulf Killington
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Courtesy

Finding enough people to build and staff the village — and finding places for them to live — is a big issue under consideration.

Town officials in Killington have already bought a 70-acre piece of land for workforce housing, and once water and sewer are connected, will work with the developer to build 250 to 350 units – a mix of apartments, duplexes and single family homes. And Sneyd says he’s also met with Rutland Mayor Michael Doenges to look at possibly developing worker housing in the city.

If President-elect Trump goes through with his promised tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, that could be another challenge for the Toronto-based developer. But Sneyd said he was not overly concerned. “I can't think of much that will be coming from Canada for the development here. It will be primarily American- sourced. So I don't think the tariffs will have a big impact. However, I believe that tariffs will always cause inflation within the tariff country.”

More from Vermont Edition: Live from Jay Peak: A ski season preview

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Corrected: January 3, 2025 at 10:47 AM EST
An earlier version of this story misstated Michael Sneyd's title with Great Gulf.
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