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By the numbers, Electric Pass Lodge is a large undertaking in Snowmass Base Village: the eight-level building contains 53 residential units and will occupy more than 76,000 square feet in Base Village. The structure will be powered entirely by renewable energy sources.
And all it takes to secure a spot in line is $1,000.
When the reservation system for sales at Electric Pass Lodge opens at noon Jan. 26, prospective buyers will need little more than $1,000 and an interest in purchasing to sign up.
“We’re trying to make it easy and seamless,” said Andy Gunion, the Roaring Fork Valley managing partner for Base Village developer East West Partners.
It is the first step in a process that will involve multiple checkpoints for buyers; a reservation is no guarantee of a unit in the yet-to-be-built Base Village Building 11, nor is it a binding agreement to purchase a residence.
But those who are quick to click Jan. 26 are all the more likely to get their pick of the litter: the first to submit reservations in the online system will get first dibs on their choice of residence when the time comes to submit contracts in late February. An additional $9,000 will be due at signing, with a 10% deposit on the purchase price — units start at $1.4 million — expected after groundbreaking (slated for April of this year); the $10,000 already contributed will go toward that deposit.
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The average unit spans more than 1,200 square feet, according to building development plans approved by the Snowmass Village Town Council in December. There will be 41 two-bedroom units and 11 three-bedroom units sold on the free market, plus one three-bedroom, deed-restricted workforce housing unit. The Scandanavian-inspired design of the building is a joint effort by 4240 Architecture and River + Lime, an interior design firm.
Chief among selling points for Electric Pass Lodge is the building’s sustainability, developers have emphasized. True to its moniker (an homage to the mountain pass of the same name), the building is powered entirely by electricity and will be LEED-certified.
Holy Cross Energy’s plan to use 100% renewable energy sources by 2030 will ensure that Electric Pass Lodge (serviced by Holy Cross) has a net-zero carbon footprint within a decade.
“This whole building is all about environmental sustainability but also about the health of the occupants,” Gunion said.
The building will offer a number of amenities, among them a health club, swimming pool access, gear lockers and close proximity to outdoor recreation. Other perks include a 37-space underground parking garage, car-share program and quick access to restaurants and community spaces in Base Village.
“A lot of what we’ve done in the village is focused around health and wellness,” Gunion said. “I can’t think of anything else that you (could) need or want.”
Mountain vistas also are part of the experience, but prospective buyers will need to use a bit of imagination to visualize them from ground level. Unlike home sites on Fanny Hill that offer viewing platforms to prospective buyers, there’s no way to see the view from Electric Pass Lodge units just yet. The views would be comparable to those in some units in One Snowmass, situated just to the west of the lot where the new building will stand, Gunion said.
So will buyers be clamoring at the door (er, website) once reservations open next week?
That won’t be clear until next week, most likely. Gunion said he was “optimistic” about the demand but hasn’t established any firm metrics on what he’ll consider a successful launch.
“I try not to set too many hard expectations for myself,” Gunion said. “We’ll be starting construction on this building regardless.”
Gunion expects that most of the interest in Electric Pass Lodge will come from buyers looking for a vacation rental opportunity or home away from home, rather than those looking for a full-time residence.
“It’s become a spectrum at this point,” Gunion said of the buyer demographics. “I would expect that (in) this building we don’t end up with a large number of permanent residents.”
No matter who opts in to the Electric Pass Lodge lifestyle (or when they occupy the spaces they purchase), the building’s net carbon footprint will be the same: zero. That sustainable, all-electric model is exciting for Gunion, he said.
“(It’s) something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
Additional reservation information is available at electricpasslodge.com.
