This past Tuesday, select Winter Park residents voted on the next phase of Winter Park’s gondola. Eight ballots were sent to voters in a designated district around the future location of an aerial tram system connecting Cooper Creek Square and Winter Park Resort. Of the eight ballots, three were returned, all voting in approval. While this November 3rd vote is a significant milestone, as it means the project is financially possible, it doesn’t mean the project has full approval.
The first issue voters saw on this special election ballot regarding the godola was Question 6F. This measure approves the creation of a regional transportation authority. This regional transportation authority is a legislative body comprised of four local government entities: The Town of Winter Park, Grand County, Cooper Creek Village Metropolitan District No. 1, and Resort Area Development Metropolitan District No. 1. This intergovernmental agency would have authority over financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the aerial transportation system. While this regional transportation authority was initially created months ago in September, the November 3rd election approved its creation.
The second issue on the ballot this past Tuesday was Ballot Question 6G. This measure focused on funding for the project. Now, with voter approval, the regional transportation authority can sell $120 million in bonds, with total repayment of $424 million over 30 years, to fund the project. As of now, taxpayers will not be affected. If it comes to that, there will be another vote.
Both of these ballot questions are a substantial step towards progress for this project. With funding available for the regional transportation authority, the next phases can begin. While the final funding plan is a work in progress, the goal is to avoid adding any new taxes to Winter Park’s community. A good portion of bond repayment will come from taxes generated by development in the area surrounding the new gondola, collected through the Winter Park Urban Renewal Authority. In addition to funds collected through the Urban Renewal Authority, eleven other taxing districts are in talks about contributing their revenues to repay these bonds.
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Beyond changing the guests’ experience, projections show this expansion could result in a year-round increase in tourism and economic revenue. Development around the gondola and additional expansion plans would include adding numerous housing units and hotels. Town Manager Jon Peacock has said Winter Park could nearly double its housing units by 2033, with hotel rooms rising 400–500%.
While it’s been in the works for decades, this is truly just the beginning of a major transformation for both the Town of Winter Park and the Resort. It would change a guest’s experience, essentially eliminating the need for a car while visiting.
“It brings our community one step closer to creating an aerial transit system that connects downtown Winter Park to the mountain and the base of the resort, where we can transfer and get back and forth to Denver via mountain passenger rail,” Mayor Kutrumbos wrote. “It’s quite something for Winter Park and the state.”
