That’s a great interview with lots of chat about short and long term plans. It’s a shame that Stratton spent so much money to purchase existing beds, rather than build new beds. Southern Vermont, like much of the country, has a shortage of affordable housing. Converting hotel beds that Stratton was already leasing to owned beds, does nothing to alleviate that shortage. The original Stratton Act 250 Masterplan included an on-site dormitory style employee housing facility called Birches that would have offered 66 suite-style units with three individual bedrooms each, for a total of 198 brand new beds, right on the mountain. The cost was reasonable, and it was permitted at the state level, but prior owners decided to invest their funds elsewhere, and then warehouse employees in multi-person shared rooms in distant strip motels that were never designed as long-term accommodations. Continuing that investment strategy in repurposing existing old strip motels does nothing to address the bigger community shortage of housing, nor does it provide Stratton employees with quality livable home-like housing.
That’s a great interview with lots of chat about short and long term plans. It’s a shame that Stratton spent so much money to purchase existing beds, rather than build new beds. Southern Vermont, like much of the country, has a shortage of affordable housing. Converting hotel beds that Stratton was already leasing to owned beds, does nothing to alleviate that shortage. The original Stratton Act 250 Masterplan included an on-site dormitory style employee housing facility called Birches that would have offered 66 suite-style units with three individual bedrooms each, for a total of 198 brand new beds, right on the mountain. The cost was reasonable, and it was permitted at the state level, but prior owners decided to invest their funds elsewhere, and then warehouse employees in multi-person shared rooms in distant strip motels that were never designed as long-term accommodations. Continuing that investment strategy in repurposing existing old strip motels does nothing to address the bigger community shortage of housing, nor does it provide Stratton employees with quality livable home-like housing.
Skied there a few times in the 80s. Loved it...especially World Cup.