Great Gulf plans $3B ski village at Killington, Vt., aiming for largest "ski beach." Delayed pre-construction for design changes, but will create jobs & aim to solve housing issues for workers.
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Killington, Vt.'s largest ski resort has seen a lot of recent changes. Just last September, the resort was sold for an undisclosed sum to a group of private investors, many with local ties.
Prior to that, in 2023, Great Gulf, a Canadian developer, paid $43 million to purchase 1,095 acres of land, including land and development rights at the base of the Killington mountain with hopes to do what many other developers have tried and failed to do — build a ski village in Killington with new condominiums, homes, shops, restaurants and what Great Gulf is calling the largest "ski beach" in the eastern United States.
The proposed mountain village that Great Gulf currently calls "LiveKillington" will center on 45 acres around the Snow Shed and Rams Head base areas. Great Gulf Killington expects to release finalized designs and begin the permit process later this year.
But the idea of a ski village at Killington has been around for decades, according to a Dec. 31 report from Vermont Public Radio.
Even Preston Smith, who opened Killington in the late 1950s, had some village designs made in the 1960s. Over the years, however, all the various plans ended up falling through.
Today, though, despite some hiccups and delays, local officials feel a lot more confident that it is finally going to happen. They point to a combination of town investment and Great Gulf's plans and corporate portfolio.
The town of Killington has invested some $80 million into improving local infrastructure. Additionally, officials are installing a new municipal water supply system and improving the roads — all to lay the foundation for the high-density development that would be part of a new ski village.
Ski Village Plans Must Be Spot On From the Beginning
Town and resort officials say there is a lot riding on getting the village plans right, starting with the first phase, which has been designed to include approximately 720 residential units, made up of a mix of ski-in ski-out condos, duplexes, and single-family homes, as well as a large new base lodge, and 110,000 sq. ft. of retail and dining space.
Great Gulf Killington CEO Michael Sneyd also noted that his firm plans to develop walking and biking trails, fitness centers, spas and a wooded amphitheater.
In addition, he told Vermont Public that plans call for the creation of an extra-long "ski beach" running over the Killington access road. A ski beach is a flat area of snow that makes it easier for skiers to get around and provides areas to relax and picnic.
Depending on how long the local and state permit process takes, construction on the first phase could begin in 2026.
The previous owner of the land, SP Land Company, did receive Act 250 approval for a ski village they wanted to build on the property. Observers including Jim Haff, the Killington town select board chair and zoning commissioner, believe that may make it easier for Great Gulf to go through the process.
Great Gulf took the older existing village plans and hired Safdie Architects, a Somerville, Mass.-based architectural design firm, to improve upon them.
"And they came back with a new master plan for the village that had half a dozen significant improvements," Sneyd said in speaking with Vermont Public.
That included shifting Killington Road, having one ski lodge instead of two, building walkways around the pond, and keeping the village retail area car- and bus-free, he added.
Pre-Construction Efforts Delayed for Design Changes
Killington town officials were expecting to be well into the local review and permit process by now, but Great Gulf — which is part of the group of investors that purchased the ski resort itself in September — recently announced that they were delaying things for a year.
Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, said after looking at Great Gulf's new base lodge plans, they asked the developer to make the building larger and change some elements. He noted that his group learned a lot building their Peak Lodge and new Killington base lodge.
"This village is going to be around for 100 years. We want to make sure we get it right," Solimano explained to Vermont Public. "Sometimes when you have architects working on things, you know, they're working on aesthetics and not really functionality of the lodge. So, I think that's where a lot of the kind of give and take is, and how operationally is the building working, you know, especially from a food and beverage standpoint."
Years Ahead Look Rosy for Construction Jobs
Eventually, Sneyd believes Great Gulf Killington can potentially build up to 2,300 residential units with a projected investment of about $3 billion.
"That … construction investment is going to generate 3,800 construction jobs in Vermont over a 25-year period," he said. "And then once the village is built in Year 10, the hospitality side takes over the whole property, the management, the rental, the hospitality — and we project 1,500 hospitality jobs. Those would be permanent jobs going forward."
Finding enough people to build and staff the village — and locate places for them to live — is a big issue under consideration.
Town officials in Killington have already bought a 70-acre piece of land for workforce housing, and once water and sewer are connected, will work with the developer to construct 250 to 350 units made up of a mix of apartments, duplexes and single-family homes.
Sneyd told Vermont Public that he also has met with Rutland, Vt., Mayor Michael Doenges to look at possibly developing worker housing in that city, a 16-mi. drive west from Killington.
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