Revelstoke Mountain Resort executives present base area construction plans

Revelstoke Mountain Resort says staff housing is among the top priorities for the resort over the next few years, with construction set to start as early as spring 2021, according to resort executives.

In a presentation to media on Wednesday, Dec. 2, Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) president Dave Brownlie and vice-president of operations Peter Nielsen provided an update on the resort’s new plans for the village, known as the Base Area Plan. This same presentation was given to city council during its regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 24.

During the presentation the Mountaineer confirmed RMR submitted an application for the first phase of staff housing to the City of Revelstoke on Nov. 17. The first phase of staff housing includes 92 units, a combination of 24 one-bedroom units, with the remainder two-bedroom units.

A village master plan rendering of base area plans for Revelstoke Mountain Resort unveiled in November, 2020. Image: Rendering by RMR

“When we did bring the master plan update to the community in 2019, we were pretty clear on our commitment to employee housing. Over time, people forget about it, but I know it’s a big issue in the community,” said Brownlie. “We’re really excited to have this in place.”

Brownlie said once RMR has city approval the time-frame to complete the first phase of staff housing is approximately 30 months. However, even if approval is given during the winter months, actual construction won’t start until spring. The resort said it has committed to providing 10 per cent of its development in staff housing, which can be both on or off resort lands.

“We do have opportunities for off-resort [building] we could potentially utilize which could be more for year-round opportunities and employees, but the initial push is for apartment-style units for seasonal and newer employees,” said Brownlie. “As we build out and needs increase we can look at if it’s appropriate to utilize other [Northlands owned] properties.”

WATCH RMR PRESIDENT DAVE BROWNLIE’S PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL HERE:

Nielsen said as RMR becomes more of a year-round destination it’s likely the resort will see more year-round staff.

Infrastructure, golf course, heli-hotel among other near-term priorities

All in, the resort’s base area development plan is slated to take between 10 and 20 years to complete. The plan includes construction of 2,600 units, representing 57 per cent of total bed units available once RMR is developed to its capacity, as well as infrastructure improvements and developments.

When finished, the resort will see a new day lodge, hotels, residential town homes and a total of three staff housing units with apartments able to house between 450 and 600 employees. The parking lot will move from its current location to the south base and will have lift access at completion. Nielsen said the hotel will fall under commercial tax classification, while he expects the condo developments in the resort village will be classed residential.

A 3-D rendering of base area plans for Revelstoke Mountain Resort unveiled in November, 2020. Image: Rendering by RMR

However if condos are used for rentals, they could fall under a blended classification. Staff housing will fall under the residential tax classification. In 2019, the city of Revelstoke’s budget took a $1.5 million one-time hit and lost over $500,000 annually on an ongoing basis after RMR successfully appealed a number of its property tax classification assessments.

Asked to provide a more immediate list of items the community can expect to see over next few years, Nielsen and Brownlie said completion of the first phase of staff-housing, along with a heli-hotel, a small townhome site, and the Cabot branded golf course and hotel are priorities.

Construction crews working on the new hotel development will live at a worker camp in Johnson Heights. The city’s approval of a two-year temporary use permit, that will see 60 workers housed in ATCO trailers for hotel and golf course construction, was met with controversy by many Johnson Heights residents. Brownlie said it’s an important part in moving forward on plans and ultimately building employee housing. Nielsen emphasized the worker camp is a temporary solution.

“It’s a bridge to get us through the initial phases of this development,” he said.

The worker camp is currently approved for a two-year time period under the city’s temporary use permit system, but the permit can be extended by up to an additional three years.