The Steamboat Springs Redevelopment Authority and Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation have officially partnered to redevelop the Gondola Transit Center at the ski area base, according to a Thursday news release. 

The release comes simultaneous with a statement released by the Colorado Energy Office, which announced $7.3 million in awards across the state through its third cycle of geothermal energy tax credits, including $41,866.50 for the city of Steamboat Springs to do a geothermal feasibility study for snowmelt systems for the new GTC. 

City officials say the study aims to identify a low- or no-carbon energy source for the project, which is part of broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions outlined in the Routt County Climate Action Plan. 

Preliminary results from the geothermal analysis are expected by the end of the year and will guide design decisions as redevelopment of the GTC continues.

Earlier this month, crews with Bertram Drilling bored a 440-foot test well into the Stampede Trail near the base area to measure how much heat can be stored and transferred underground, according to the city’s release. The results will help engineers determine how many wells might be needed to power snowmelt systems for the GTC’s pedestrian plaza and gondola loading zones.