Juneau assembly directs staff to halt CBJ‑led Eagle Crest gondola project, draft ordinance to end RSA with Gold Belt

The Juneau City and Borough assembly voted to halt the CBJ‑led Eagle Crest gondola project and instructed staff to draft an ordinance to terminate the revenue‑sharing agreement (RSA) with Gold Belt, while exploring options to minimize direct cash repayment.

The motion, passed by a 6–3 roll call, directs staff to end CBJ project work in a manner that preserves City assets, prepare an ordinance to settle the RSA, and investigate alternatives to repaying Gold Belt strictly in cash. The assembly also asked the Eagle Crest board to continue searching for outside investors and to return with revised financial plans for the ski area.

Why this matters: City staff said the gondola has stalled amid leadership turnover, procurement delays and sharply higher construction estimates, leaving the borough exposed to mounting monthly interest and possible triggered repayments under the RSA. Special projects manager Craig D. told the committee that the City has already spent roughly $8.2 million on the gondola to date — about $5.5 million on the gondola equipment, $438,000 in salaries and about $2.3 million in engineering and design — and that a recent CMGC rough order of magnitude came in near $27 million.

“We have expended $5.5 million just on the gondola — the parts, the shipping, and the gondola itself,” Craig D. said during the AFC presentation, warning that additional tariffs and shipping charges could add…