 |
Ken Smith/Turnagain Times photo |
  |
Ken Smith/Turnagain Times photo |
By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
The seventh annual meeting of Girdwood 2020 was held in the Columbia Ballroom at Alyeska Resort Feb. 17. The event sold out with more than 250 guests seated and eagerly awaiting the featured guest speaker of the evening, Alyeska Resort’s new owner John Byrne III.
The event is the largest fundraiser for the organization.
“I think we raised about $35,000 in the silent and live auction,” said Diana Stone Livingston, co-chair of Girdwood 2020. “And we made another probably $7,500 on the banquet.”
Girdwood 2020 is an advocacy group whose mission is to make Girdwood grow and prosper as an internationally-recognized mountain resort community that develops through environmentally responsible economic development.
This year’s event was a ‘Who’s Who’ of Girdwood business people and local politicians. U.S. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski attended, as did Anchorage Assembly member Chris Birch and Mary Jane Michael representing the office of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.
Sen. Murkowski was the first speaker, and she expressed her enthusiasm for the future development of Girdwood and the resort.
“Things are happening up here,” she said. “Tonight we’re going to have the State of the Resort. To hear that tonight, we’re going to leave here all buzzing.”
Mary Jane Michael stepped up to the podium next and talked, in part, about the city owned land in Glacier/Winner Creek, which the municipality wants to develop into a second ski area. The plan is still in its infancy, and though the city has expressed interest in seeking Outside bidders for developing the ski area, Byrne said he is in discussion with city officials to develop a master plan with the municipality.
“So much has happened here the last 10 years, so much has happened in the last few years. The residents here are committed to moving forward,” Michael said.
Michael also addressed small developments that the city supports in Girdwood like the construction of a new library and community center, which is slated to be completed within the next year; the construction of a new building for Little Bear’s daycare center, and the construction of a new skateboard park. Upgrading the Alyeska Highway bike path also was addressed.
Michael said a feasibility study was also being conducted to address the potential for developing a Nordic trail system in Glacier/Winner Creek, which she envisions as a hosting site for cross country skiing events.
Former Alyeska CEO Chris von Imhof stepped to the podium next amidst a loud ovation. Von Imhof retired from his post as CEO after the new ownership took over on Dec. 1. He was instrumental in closing the deal with Cirque Property LLC.
“Alyeska almost ended up with a hotel chain in California as Seibu wanted, but I convinced them to go with John (Byrne),” von Imhof said, igniting a rousing ovation from the audience.
Von Imhof introduced the new owner of Alyeska and described him as an avid skier who logged more than 100 days of skiing last year, half of those days heli-skiing.
When Byrne stepped up to the podium, he praised von Imhof for his work and the legacy he’s left behind.
“For me, Chris will always be the face of Alyeska,” he said, generating loud applause from the audience. “It’s been an action packed 60 days for me. We spend every waking moment working on the product.”
Before speaking more in-depth, Byrne passed the microphone to Bruce Erickson of Stantech, a company based in Alberta, Canada. Erickson is the lead planner for the resort, and he brings a lengthy resume to the table. He apprenticed at Deer Valley Resort, and has been involved as a planner for several Utah ski resorts: The Canyons Resort, Snowbasin Ski Resort and Park City Mountain Resort, as well as Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort.
“Our first job here is to figure out what everybody knows,” Erickson said. “Then we go on to the design and the redevelopment of the hotel.”
Erickson stressed that the authenticity of Alyeska and Alaska is its strength in attracting visitors, and he would like future architecture at the resort to reflect that uniqueness. “That’s how we plan to tell the story here in Girdwood,” he said.
He also stressed development that would not harm the ecosystem, a theme that has been expressed by Byrne and Don McLean, Alyeska Resort’s new vice president and director of real estate.
Byrne’s team is focused on developing a village at the base of Mt. Alyeska, which would encompass designs from Scandinavia and resorts from the Lower 48. They would also like to draw upon other top resorts for design ideas for a Nordic ski program, integrating the trails for year-round use for hiking and biking in the summer.
But again, Erickson emphasized an eco-friendly approach to development.
“Our environmental values are strong,” he said. “We’d like a ski-in, ski-out mountain and sustainability.”
One of the more ambitious plans Erickson talked about would incorporate a rail transit system from Anchorage in order to alleviate traffic congestion and ease the environmental impact that increased traffic would have on the local area. It was a concept first brought up by Rich Eidem, Alyeska Resort’s other vice president and owner representative, at a press conference held on Dec. 1 announcing the sale of the resort.
The plans are all preliminary right now, Erickson said. “How many years will it take? I have to organize the data and go over the concepts.”
In addition to the resort’s own development, Byrne’s team is working on generating a master plan for developing Glacier/Winner Creek. Erick-son said a timeline was laid out to deliver an original concept in March and then select from two or three plans by the end of April, followed by talks with the municipality on working together to develop that plan. By the end of September, Erickson said a master plan would be delivered to the municipality.
When Byrne finally spoke, he addressed the development of Glacier/Winner Creek, which he said could take 10-to-15 years to develop. Byrne was confident in his presentation that Alyeska would be the developer that could work with the city and see the project to fruition.
“The big difference between this relationship and other relationships is that when we present our master plan, I’ll actually be able to fund it,” he said.
Byrne is not a man who hesitates or minces words. He has stepped in as the new owner with ambitious goals, and brought in what appears to be an A-team from the Lower 48 with a great deal of experience managing, designing and building world-class ski resorts. He even hired a specialist in resort interior design to revamp the hotel’s interior look from the lobby to the rooms.
“Everyone may embrace our idea,” Byrne said. “But I feel it’s important for Alyeska to either do the deal or get out of the way,” he said. “If it’s going to be us, it needs to be now.” His remarks sparked another round of enthusiastic applause.
It was a night of enthusiastic talk and ambitious plans for the future of Alyeska and the residents of Girdwood. Now, the only question that remains is how to make the dream become a reality.