Perhaps the most confusing dead-end in Steamboat Springs, Ski Time Square is poised for redevelopment. 

The design development plans for the Ski Time Square Drive Public Turnaround and Complete Streets Improvement Project were recently completed by Baseline Engineering.

The city hopes to reactivate the street, which has been flanked with empty lots for about 15 years, and improving the road and rights-of-way are seen as crucial steps to get to a modern vision of Ski Time Square. 

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“One of its purposes is to hopefully catalyze redevelopment of those vacant sites,” Public Works Engineer Danny Paul said. 

Sidewalks will be built, lights will be installed and utilities will be placed underground. But the most important feature of the project might be a new public turnaround loop at the eastern end of Ski Time Square Drive, where the road currently bottlenecks into a residential street and many local and out-of-town drivers have been forced to make awkward U-turns.

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Paul said the project’s design includes snow-melting walkways that will connect to adjacent properties.

And for anyone who hates parallel parking their vehicle on top of the snow berms along Ski Time Square, the design calls for replacing those parking spots with diagonal spaces. Paul said he expects roughly 10 more parking spaces to be added to the street that already struggles with parking, including a few electric vehicle charging stations. 

“The project also includes some landscaping, as well as street lighting, that make it more orderly and comfortable and safer at night,” Paul said.

Paul said the city had hoped to complete the underground utility work in conjunction with redevelopments along the street, making it easier to connect everything all at the same time, but potential projects for those properties are a long way out.

Additionally, the Urban Redevelopment Authority Advisory Committee is recommending the street improvements for final budget approval by the Steamboat Springs Redevelopment Authority. 

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Paul said the city is actively negotiating with nearby property owners to obtain easements for the city, which he said is one of the last hurdles. 

The project is scheduled to complete final design, construction planning and coordination in January, after which the city expects to procure a contractor in spring. Construction is planned to start in April and last until November. 

The city is also asking the public for feedback. 

“We’ve made significant advancements through the different design phases — conceptual, schematic and now design development — and are looking for input on this latest iteration,” said Steamboat Springs Redevelopment Authority Project Manager Gates Gooding. “We’ve received great public input to date and hope to see it continue as we move forward.”

People can go to EngageSteamboat.net/SkiTime to access the public comment sheet and view the full set of project plans, along with other project information.