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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTOV_BusinessMatters-Newsletter_Dec11_finalTown of Vail Economic Development Office 970-479-2454 Kmcdonald@vailgov.com BUSINESS MATTERS December 2011 A Newsletter for Vail’s Business Community In 2007, an Economic Development Offce was created by the Town of Vail to manage the town’s marketing and collaborative initiatives. The efforts are led by Kelli McDonald, Economic Development Manager, 479-2454, kmcdonald@vailgov.com. ■ GOAL 1 Build a strong relationship between the Town of Vail and the Vail Business Community. ■ GOAL 2 Increase the Town of Vail’s economic activity as measured by sales tax revenue to exceed annual infation, as measured by the consumer price index. ■ GOAL 3 Focus on building a year-round economy; reduce economic seasonality by growing the summer economy (May – October) at a rate greater than the winter economy (November – April). ■ GOAL 4 Provide support for a quality workforce delivering world-class service to positively impact Vail’s economy. ■ GOAL 5 Provide support for sustaining, upgrading and maintaining Vail’s capital assets as it relates to sustainable economic health. ■ GOAL 6 Support the stimulation of diversity of services and businesses locating in the Town of Vail. VAIL ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL 2011 WORK PLAN Excerpted from the Vail Economic Development Strategic Plan | Adopted December 2008 ■ MISSION The Vail Economic Advisory Council (VEAC) was established in 2006 as a citizens’ advisory group for the purpose of advising the Vail Town Council, Town Manager and the community on economic issues that will sustain, enhance and diversify the town’s economy. Members are appointed by the Town Manager and Council holds public meetings the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The major function of the VEAC is to focus on the overall economic future of Vail (West Vail to East Vail) and to develop an organized plan of action using specifc information gained from past studies, existing studies and economic indicators. Continued on back TOWN REVENUES STRONG Town of Vail sales tax revenues continue to exceed expectations, with year-to-date collections up 11.5% from this time last year. Real Estate Transfer Tax however, is down from last year due to the timing of major redevelopment projects. 2012 revenue projections are conservative and expenditures were budgeted to live within those means. Departments held operating budgets fat, with more emphasis placed on funding for special events such as Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, Vail Jazz Festival, Vail Farmer’s Market, Teva Mountain Games, Hot Summer Nights, Vail International Dance Festival, among others. Large commitments to future events such as the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, Vail’s 50th Anniversary and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge will be funded from reserves. Overall, funding for special events will total nearly $2.5 million for 2012. General Fund operations are budgeted at $30.2 million. WhAT’S NEW ON VAIL MOUNTAIN After one of the best seasons in recent memory on all fronts, yet another exciting season awaits Vail. As the 50th anniversary quickly approaches in December 2012, the resort is adding to a string of recent improvements and developments with a highly-anticipated new ski-in, ski-out 13,000 sq. ft. table-service restaurant, “The 10th”, opening December 1 at Mid-Vail. Upgrades to the Kids Adventure Zones and two new zones on the eastern side of the mountain have also been completed. In addition, EpicMix, the social media application launched last season and activated by nearly 100,000 skiers and snowboarders, has been expanded to include more user- friendly features including photo sharing. And new technologies have been added like the bigger, better, faster Prinoth BEAST snowcat. Also, the new Winter Teva Mountain Games makes its debut in February, joining Vail’s lineup of signature events including Vail Snow Daze, Vail Family Holidaze, CarniVail and Spring Back to Vail. All these things combined with generous snowfall and nearly 5,300 acres of terrain are just some of the many reasons Vail can credibly lay claim to being a resort like nothing on earth! WhAT’S NEW IN TOWN Not to be missed in town, Elway’s and Matsuhisa will join Vail’s notable culinary scene in time for the winter season. In addition, the new Lionshead Transit Center along the South Frontage Road has opened. The building is located on the north side of the parking structure and includes a new passenger waiting area, restrooms and a pull-off for ECO buses. Also, watch for the opening of the new Welcome Center on the south side of the parking structure which will be completed soon. The building includes guest services, transit waiting area, restrooms, Vail Recreation District programming and community meeting space. WINTER AIR SERVICE UNDERWAY AT EGE Winter air service from the Eagle County Airport (EGE) is underway with the return of American Airlines fights from Dallas. The full Town of Vail Business Matters Town of Vail Economic Development Office 970-479-2454 Kmcdonald@vailgov.com Parking Pass Information Parking pass sales are available weekdays throughout the win- ter on the lower level of the Vail Municipal Building. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The most popular of the employee passes is the pink pass which is sold for $150 and is good for parking at Ford Park and the soccer feld as well as on the North Frontage Road at Middle Creek. The merchant-specifc silver pass is sold for $1,800 and is limited to 50 passes each per structure for guaran- teed parking. The silver pass is sold to qualifying business license holders in Vail Village and Lionshead on a frst-come, frst-served basis with one pass per business. After Dec. 5 any remaining silver passes will be sold to merchants who want to buy a second pass. The winter parking program includes two hours of free parking in the structures as well as free parking after 3 p.m. Also, there are more than 400 free outlying parking spaces with connections to bus service. For parking availability at Donovan Park or the Vail Nordic Center, visit www.vaileventparking.com. Call 479-2104 for additional parking information. Let the Vail Visitor Information Centers Promote Your Business The Vail Information Centers see nearly 100,000 guests per year and can be a useful resource to promote your business. Winter hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in two locations: Vail Village and Lionshead, where the staff will be relocating from the current Lionshead location to the new Welcome Center in Lionshead once construction is complete. The centers have opportunities to promote business materials in on-site display racks. In addition, any Vail business license holder or brochure display participant is invited to join the centers’ Twitter program by sending an e-mail with your suggested Tweet. Also, ask the Info Center staff to follow your Twitter account and they’ll Retweet your messages for additional exposure as time permits. For details, call the Vail Village location at 476-4790 or e-mail vail@vailinfo.org. Follow them on Twitter @vailinfocenter. winter schedule begins Dec. 15 and also includes additional service on Continental, Delta and United. Be sure to tell your friends, family and colleagues to make the most of their trips to Vail by starting their vacations as soon as they land. Fly into EGE from cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami or New York and ski the same day for free. Simply present your boarding pass at any Vail ticket window for a free same day lift ticket. For more information visit www.fyvail.com. NExT STEPS fOR CONfERENCE CENTER fUNDS Now that Vail voters have overwhelmingly approved reallocation of the $9-plus million Conference Center Funds by an 87 percent margin, the work to bring the three projects to completion will involve multiple phases. One of the frst steps will be the submittal and approval of a Development Plan for Ford Park with a possible amendment to the Ford Park Master Plan. This approval is necessary to accommodate improvements to the Ford Amphitheater as well as expansion of the felds and restroom improvements at the Ford Park athletic complex. In addition, renovation of the clubhouse at the Vail Golf Course and Nordic Center will require additional design refnements. Development applications will then be submitted to the town for review by the Planning and Environmental Commission and Design Review Board. Along the way, there will be numerous opportunities for public review and comment. The Ford Park projects could break ground in the fall of 2012 and the Golf Course Clubhouse in the spring of 2013 once the necessary approvals are completed and project costs are assigned. The Vail Recreation District and Vail Valley Foundation have pledged additional funding to help with the projects. Continued from front VAIL SPECIAL EVENTS CALENDAR DECEMBER 2011 5-11 Snow Daze 7 Nordic Race: Town Series # 1 13 Alpine Wind Ensemble 15 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 17 Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony 17-25 Vail Family Holidaze 21 Nordic Race: Town Series # 2 23- Feb 14 Triumph Winterfest: Karl Krueger’s Snow Polar Bears 27-28 Skating Club of Vail: Holiday Ice Show 31 Torchlight Ski-Down and Fireworks 31 1st Night Celebration 31 Club Vail New Year’s Eve Party at Dobson Arena JANUARY 2012 5-7 Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival 19 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 28 Vail Film Festival: Winter Screening fEBRUARY 2012 9 Triumph Winterfest Storytelling 9-12 Winter Teva Mountain Games 12 Seven Wonders of Vail 16 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 18 Vail Nordic Freestyle: Town Series #4 19 “Vail Vignettes”: Vail Symposium 19–21 CarniVail 25 Vail Film Festival: Winter Screening MARCh 2012 3 Pink Vail 3-10 J3 Rocky/Central Junior Ski Championships 8 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 17 Vail Film Festival: Winter Screening 15 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 19, 21 & 23 Apres Ski Puppetry: Vail Public Library 22 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 22-25 American Ski Classic 29 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 29- April 1 Vail Film Festival APRIL 2012 5 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert 5-7 Taste of Vail 7 LionsHead Easter Egg Hunt 9-15 Spring Back to Vail 12 Bud Light Street Beat Outdoor Concert and Volvo Give-away 15 Vail Mountain Closing Day All events are subject to change. For details, visit www.vailgov.com or www.vail.com.