The Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — With a little over a week left, the city is waiting for a $600,000 commitment from the Steamboat Grand before starting improvements on Mount Werner Circle.

The city has until July 19 to accept a $670,000 construction bid for traffic improvements to Mount Werner Circle and the Grand has yet to hand over its share of the construction costs.

City Manager Paul Hughes said under the agreement with the Grand, the city opened the bids in June, notified the Grand of the bid and gave them 30 days to send the money. As soon as the city has the money, Hughes said the bid would be accepted and the construction would begin.

The scheduled improvements will go from the entrance of the parking garage across from the Gondola Transit Center up to the service entrance at Burgess Creek Road. Plans call for the road to be narrowed to two main lanes from the current four, for walkways to be added across the street from the Grand and for pedestrian-friendly crossways to be installed.

Although the lowest bid by Connell Resources Inc. is $670,000, the actual project price tag is at $740,742.

With the city and Grand sharing the cost, the city has a $121,867 additional tab.

Weber said if the Grand does not contribute its share, the city does not have the money to make up the difference.

The Grand and city were under an agreement to have substantial improvements to Mount Werner Circle by the end of 2002.

While Weber said there is some debating what substantial entails, he believes the 150-day construction project is already behind schedule.

"We're still waiting to hear some response from Steamboat Grand," Weber said.

City Attorney Tony Lettunich would not comment on what action the city could take if the Grand did not pay by July 19.

But he did say city staff members are negotiating with the Grand.

Hughes said he heard the hotel thought their share was too large of a price and wanted to negotiate what percentage each party was responsible to pay.

In a conversation in early May, Steamboat Ski Area President Chris Diamond said the $600,000 estimate was unrealistic.

The real estate division of the American Skiing Co. owns the Grand.

When the development plan for the Grand was passed by the council five years ago, they were not required to hold any money for the pending construction project.

Because the city was unsure of what traffic changes had to be made, the Grand did not have to set aside any funds to guarantee completion like they did for water and sewer projects.

In April of last year, the Grand signed a development agreement with the city that had them paying for the transit, street and pedestrian improvements that were west of the middle line on Mount Werner Circle and along the Grand's frontage.