Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort, its landlord, Talisker Land Holdings, and Talisker’s legal warrior, Vail Resorts, have again asked a district court judge to extend the deadline for mediation talks that could save next season at Utah’s most-trafficked ski area.
The resort and Talisker on Monday told 3rd District Judge Ryan Harris they have been unable to reach a lease agreement and asked to extend their negotiations through Friday.
This is the second time the resort and landlord have asked for an extension. To avoid an an ugly eviction, they were supposed to complete talks by Aug. 15
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If mediation fails, the court-ordered eviction will proceed and Park City Mountain Resort will have to abandon more than 2,800 acres of ski terrain. That’s roughly three-quarters of its ski mountain, land it has leased from Talisker in a sweetheart deal worth about $150,000 a year since the 1970s.
But Park City Mountain Resort in 2011 failed to file paperwork renewing the lease. Talisker used the missed deadline as an opportunity to install a new tenant that would pay current market prices, enlisting Vail Resorts in the fight to take possession of the Park City Mountain Resort land that abuts the Canyons resort, which Vail leases from Talisker for more than $25 million a year.
Both sides will appear in Harris’ Park City courtroom Wednesday to discuss how much bond Park City Mountain Resort will be able to post as it appeals the judge’s ruling ordering the resort to abandon the property. Park City Mountain Resorts wants a small bond; Talisker likely wants a large one.
With PCMR promising to yank its chairlifts and structures from the land if evicted, the future of the 2014-15 ski season hangs in the balance.
“PCMR will continue to negotiate with Vail in the hope that a reasonable settlement can be reached. The PCMR team lives in this community and realizes what is at stake. Only PCMR will be able to operate the resort for the upcoming 2014-15 season, unless a long-term solution is reached immediately,” PCMR president Jenni Smith said in an e-mail. “Our goal is, and has always been, to keep the resort open for the 2014-15 season.”
Jason Blevins: 303-954-1374, jblevins@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jasonblevins
