With nearly 60% of housing in Winter Park, Colorado devoted to second homes and vacation rentals, Winter Park Resort recognized the crisis-level need for local housing for seasonal and year-round workers. The solution? Conifer Commons, hailed by industry professionals and community leaders as “a national model for other ski resorts.”

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“As one of the largest employers in the area, we wanted to make sure our seasonal and year-round workers have affordable housing that provides essential accommodations – and that also supports our core values around people and community. After all, Winter Park Resort is as much about our people and quality of life, as it is about our unspoiled forest and slopes,” says Sky Foulkes, Winter Park Resort president.

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Initially, the project did face a number of construction challenges. Among these were the short building season as well as questions about the availability of labor/trades people. Fortunately, Nashua Builders came through with an efficient, off-site modular solution.

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• Schedule acceleration. While visitors and residents alike  enjoyed the 2022-23 winter ski season, Nashua was hard at work fabricating indoors at our environmentally-controlled, 154,000 square foot plant in Boise. With no delays from weather, snow, or ice, the 192 modules were completed on time—ready for transport and installation when site preparation was finished. 

• Budget certainty. Significant expenses that are difficult to control when building in upper elevations—including costly delays caused by weather and/or labor availability and materials spoilage—were never factors for the resort, thanks to Nashua's year-round, in-place workforce and protected, indoor fabrication.

• Minimal site impact. The build site was situated just off a key access road and a busy parking area. By eliminating the months of construction traffic and hazards associated with conventional, site-built construction, Nashua helped the resort avoid congestion problems (the two 4-story buildings were erected in less than 30 days).

Designed for both seasonal and year-round workers, Conifer Commons includes a mix of studio and single units accommodating workers and professionals in their own private, lockable apartments. The buildings feature communal kitchens, living spaces, and bathrooms on each of four floors.
Conifer Commons is located just yards away from Winter Park Resort’s Cabriolet lift, making it convenient, walkable, and accessible to public transportation for residents.

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Read Press Release from City of Winter Park

Read Article from POWDER Magazine

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Conifer Commons is a joint effort between Winter Park Resort, Alterra Mountain Company (Winter Park Resort’s parent company), Town of Winter Park, Winter Park Recreation Association (the agent of the City and County of Denver), Winter Park Water and Sanitation, and Saunders Construction. The project cost totaled approximately $60 million.