Aspen Skiing Company’s plan to rebuild Ullrhof makes headway, with conditions
Building replacement to address structural concerns, meet increased dining needs, SkiCo says
Courtesy photo
The Snowmass Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved Aspen Skiing Company’s (SkiCo) proposal to rebuild its Ullrhof on-mountain restaurant, pursuant to their conditions.
The commission agreed to let Aspen One, SkiCo’s parent company, continue the approval process to replace the building if they maximize reusable standards and construct the building with the appropriate natural resources directed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Senior Planning Manager Dana Dalla Betta said SkiCo wants to rebuild to address concerns about the structure of the existing restaurant and meet the increased demand for on-mountain dining.
The mountain’s greatest lack of dining availability is in Big Burn, the existing location of the Ullrhof and where the new building would be rebuilt, she said.
“The Ullrhof redevelopment is a key element in a multi-step plan to increase seating at on-mountain restaurants,” Betta told The Aspen Times in an email after the meeting. “Making it easier to find a seat in peak periods and improving the overall guest experience on Snowmass Mountain.”
With current skier volume, SkiCo estimated that Snowmass lacks 460 to 650 restaurant seats in total — and 380 to 460 seats in Big Burn — to adequately meet dining needs.
Reconstruction of Ullrhof would create 366 additional seats at the restaurant, for a total of 450 indoor seats and 275 outdoor seats. SkiCo would roughly double the current footprint of the building with their three-floor design but would embed the building into the hillside to minimize its mass and scale. The building would be less than 65′ tall, adhering to the building restrictions in the town’s development plan.
Customers would order at a high-volume burger bar on the main floor or via a bar and lounge on the upper floor. The new Ullrhof would also serve brats, hot dogs, and draft beer on the outdoor deck.
“It would be a workhorse dining experience,” Betta said. “It’s our goal to feed as many people as efficiently as possible.”
Though the establishment, originally built in the 1960s, is cherished by multiple generations of skiers and families, she hopes their new design will be a restaurant families can revere for the next 50 years. It would be built in the same location.
The design features mountain architecture with an updated, modern aesthetic, in the hope they can deliver a building that is timeless and a good gathering place for friends and family, she said. It would also be the first all-electric structure built by SkiCo.
The current proposal included a 50-50 reusable-to-compost ratio plan, meaning 50% of dining materials would be compostable and 50% reusable, which concerned Snowmass Planning Commission Member Stan Clauson.
In the meeting, he moved to amend the current project plan to maximize the reusable and rewashable potential of the restaurant.
Planning Commission Chair Brian Marshack said overall he loved the project idea but had concerns about the landscaping and the impact on the surrounding forest.
“What kind of trees are going to be there?” Marshack asked. “Is this going to be a stark building that stands out?”
SkiCo plans to use heavy timber and glulam, or wood laminations bonded together, for the primary structure of the building, but materials could change based on Forest Service review. Though they will plant trees in four places around the building, the larger building footprint will result in a net loss of trees.
Betta said increasing foliage around the building would be difficult, given Forest Service fire-mitigation recommendations and restrictions.
SkiCo will next present its proposal to Snowmass Town Council for final approval from the town. The environmental impact and material usage of the project is also under review by the Forest Service. Betta expects to hear from them in December or January.
If all goes to plan, SkiCo would start construction in May 2025 and would finish the new project before the 2026/27 ski season.
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
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