Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and Snowmass Discovery discuss possible collaboration in Base Village

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies has partnered with Snowmass Discovery to discuss potential opportunities to work together under one roof in Base Village.

The two nonprofits publicized their working relationship, as well as plans to address the feasibility of a joint project inside Building 6, at a Snowmass Town Council work session Monday evening.

As part of the town’s approval of Base Village, the developers agreed to construct and dedicate a building to the town of Snowmass Village dedicated for community use, said Snowmass Town Manager Clint Kinney.

The idea behind the community-purpose building, known as Building 6, is for the town to be able to “really contribute to the vitality of Base Village,” he said.

Snowmass Discovery, which is pushing for an ice age museum to operate out of Building 6, approached ACES in early fall of 2016 inquiring about a possible partnership, according to Kinney.

At Monday’s work session, ACES Executive Director Chris Lane and board member Michael Carricarte formally introduced themselves before town staff and expressed interest in working with Snowmass Discovery to determine whether a long-term partnership in Building 6 is both feasible and align with the 49-year-old organization’s values.

In order to reach such a decision, ACES requested that the town allow them six months of “due diligence,” to which the town obliged.

On behalf of Snowmass Discovery, Executive Director Tom Cardamone and Chairman John Rigney also were present at the work session.

For more on this story, check this week’s edition of the Snowmass Sun, on newsstands Wednesday.