Developer, contractor outline phased plan for Canyons Village parking garage; Council hears interim parking details

Laurel Simpson, a representative of the Canyons master developer, and Mark Hokison of Wadsworth Brothers Construction updated Summit County Council on May 7 about the construction schedule, interim operations and design features of the Canyons Village parking garage currently under construction.

Simpson said the garage is being built in two phases so portions can be opened during the ski season. Work began in March; Phase 1 has a building permit and the project team plans to occupy and open two levels to provide parking for the 2025‑26 winter season. Full garage completion and related plaza/transit center work are scheduled for December 2026.

Project design: Simpson presented the finished five‑level plan to illustrate how the structure will operate when complete. The garage includes three vehicular entrance points at different levels, an internal drop‑off lane with queuing and escalator connections to a pedestrian plaza; the north end (Level 1) will be a walk‑out at plaza grade. The team showed elevations and described a facade that will ultimately use lodgepole screening; that exterior cladding will not be in place during the interim winter configuration.

Interim (Phase 1) operations: For the coming winter, the developer said Level 3 will be constructed and reinforced as a roof but will not be occupiable for parking. Stair towers at the southeast and southwest corners will be built to Level 3 to allow exits to grade and pedestrian access from the transit center. The drop‑off area and some escalators and elevators will not be operational in the interim configuration. Phase 1 will provide about 653 garage spaces and additional reconstituted asphalt surface parking on adjacent lots; the team estimated the existing service lot to the east contains about 415 stalls. In total the full project (garage plus surface lot behind it) is intended to replace and consolidate roughly 1,840 spaces that previously were provided across development and dirt lots.

Accessibility and safety: There will be no elevators or escalators in the interim opening; project staff said an internal drivable ramp will allow access between Level 2 and Level 1 and that Level 1 — the walkout level — will contain most of the accessible parking. Project engineers said the vehicular ramp grades meet ADA slope criteria (within ~5% slope and cross slope under 2%) so someone who cannot use stairs can be dropped off and use the ramped circulation to reach Level 1 and the cabriolet plaza. Perimeter fall‑protection for the interim condition will use post‑tensioned cable barriers; temporary roofs will enclose some stair towers for winter weather protection and will be removed when construction resumes in spring 2026.

Transit center and plaza: Transit center and plaza construction is part of Phase 2, with a completion goal concurrent with the finished garage in December 2026. Project staff said transit stops will be provided as “stations” rather than enclosed rooms. The developer also emphasized continued coordination with Vail Resorts operations, emergency access routing and maintaining pedestrian separation from vehicles with K‑rail or similar barriers.

Council members asked about traffic impacts, the number of spaces available in Phase 1, temporary drop‑off arrangements and whether surface lots displaced by the garage would be repurposed. Simpson and contractor staff said they had completed traffic studies, and that the county and resort operations have been consulted; the developer committed to keep county staff and resort operators updated on operational changes via a project website.

No Council vote was required on the update; staff and developer said they would return with operational details as Phase 1 occupancy and winter procedures are finalized.