Telluride REPORT
News and Valuable Information from Telluride, Colorado
JANUARY-MARCH 2007
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Element 52 Project Redefines Luxury in Telluride
 As a sophisticated, high-end residential
development located in downtown Telluride,
Element 52 takes its name to heart. Titled
after the corresponding number on the
Periodic Table for tellurium – the element that
named Telluride and
was mined in the surrounding
mountains at
the turn of the century –
Element 52 pays homage
to the region’s rich
past, while celebrating its status as a richly
appointed resort community today.
But an exclusive name is just the beginning
when it comes to what the spectacular project
has to offer. Comprised of 35 exquisitelycrafted
luxury residences,
Element 52
boasts a unique location
in downtown
Telluride, abutting
both the ski area base
and the San Miguel
River. Units are all
ski-in/ski-out and
proximity to shopping
and dining, complimented by upscale
amenities. “This is an extraordinary project
because there isn’t anything else like it,” said
Steve Catsman, managing director of Telluride
Real Estate Corporation and co-developer of
Element 52. “We’re bringing the complete
resort lifestyle, one that is more typically
found in Mountain Village, right into the
heart of downtown Telluride.”
 Catsman’s partners include long-time local
developers, Steve Finger, Ralph Finger and
Tim Hild; the four together comprise XYZ
Land Development. The project’s architect is
Tommy Hein, also based out of Telluride, and
Shaw Construction has been selected as the
contractor. Element 52
recently earned approvals
from both Telluride’s
Town Council and the
Historic and Architectural
Review Commission.
The developers anticipate
breaking ground
this coming spring.
Element 52’s units will
range from two- to fivebedroom
homes, ranging in size from 1,200
square feet to 6,500 square feet, and all residences
include elegant finishes
paired with an impressive
quality and attention to
detail. Among the many
amenities Element 52 will
afford its clients is a private
ski lift that will provide
effortless ski-in/ski-out convenience
to Lifts 7, 8 and the
Gondola. Additionally, the
residences will share the
exclusive Te Bar, offering light snacks, après
ski, and full bar service; private wine storage
and an extensive wine cellar; fitness center and
spa; natural stone pools, grotto fireplaces with
secluded, wooded walkways; year-round VIP
concierge services; underground deeded parking
with private elevator access; year-round
management; a ski valet; and a gourmet food
service delivery with one of Telluride’s most
esteemed restaurants.
Owners and their guests will also have
direct access to the Gray Head Wilderness
Club, which features ice skating, equestrian
facilities, snowshoeing, cross-country ski
trails, fly-fishing, hiking (16 miles of handcrafted
trails), tennis, and a restored historic
private owner’s cabin/clubhouse. “Our intention
is to be at the forefront of Telluride residences,
offering the absolute best in design,
finishes, amenities and service standards,”
said Catsman. “And just as importantly in a
place like Telluride, Element 52 is a veritable
outdoor mecca with unparalleled and immediate
access to just about any mountain sporting
activity imaginable.”
By combining Telluride’s heritage with
w o r l d - c l a s s
amenities in an
unsurpassed
setting right at
the base of
Telluride’s ski
area, Element
52 truly brings
all elements
together, creating
an experience
that is none other than Pure Telluride.
For more information on Element 52,
please contact a TREC broker or Steve
Catsman’s office at: 970.728.6629 or
Steve@catsman.com.
IN BUSINESS
CASHMERE RED
 Caci Grinspan is getting in touch with her softer side, opening an exquisite cashmere
boutique on main street in November. Cashmere Red is bringing something very
unique to the Telluride shopping scene — a rare
Scottish cashmere. The colors are bright and beautiful
and the garments are, literally, seamless in
order to create fine pieces that Caci says last a lifetime.
“The Scottish cashmere is very special,” she
says, “so I wanted to bring it here because Telluride
is a very special place. When people buy something,
they will remember where it came from,
whether they live here or are just visiting.” Caci
says that because she works directly with the mills, she is able to give her customers
the best possible prices. In addition to the veritable rainbow array of men’s and
women’s cashmere sweaters, Cashmere Red offers hats, gloves, scarves, slippers and
eye pillows. There are also items made of merino wool and other high-end wool varieties,
as well as bags, jewelry, wallets and other accessories. “Business has been great
so far and I’ve been receiving wonderful local support.” Located at 221 East Colorado
Avenue, Cashmere Red is open daily 10-7 and can be reached at 970.728.8088.
THE SKI & BOOT VALET
 A new service, now available in Mountain Village, is sure to enhance guest and resident
ski experiences. Opened by Tamas Paluska and Andras Borbley, the Ski & Boot
Valet is a full-service, convenient operation for overnight
ski and boot storage right in Gondola Plaza (on the deck
in the Village Center where the Gondola and Gondola
Parking stations are situated). Housed in a brand new,
toasty warm and well-lit yurt, the facility is lined with
boot heaters and benches, wired with XM radio, and
manned by valet personnel at a central counter. Outside, additional valet personnel
bring/retrieve clients’ skis upon arrival or request and store them in locked exterior ski
racks. “We can accommodate up to 350 clients and our focus is on superior levels of
customer service,” said Tamas.
The Ski & Boot Valet offers membership for the entire season
($350) and daily rates ($9), as well as weekly and family packages.
Tamas also said they will be working directly with several local ski
shops, handling the pickup and return of rental equipment. Some
may know Tamas and Andras from the ski valet at the Peaks Resort,
a very successful operation that they will still manage in addition to their newest enterprise.
For more information, contact 970.708.7671 or skivalet@hotmail.com.
Mountain Village Development Continues to Flourish
Mountain Village continues to be a blizzard of activity with several multi-million dollar projects on the horizon. Rosewood Telluride, a $200 million luxury resort/ residential complex is set to break ground in April. Rosewood expects to include
75 resort guest rooms and 65 luxury condominiums/townhomes. It will be situated adjacent to the first tee box of the Telluride Golf Course with direct trailside access. Currently underway is Capella Telluride, also a $200 million condominium
project. The 148-unit luxury hotel and residential property is located in the Mountain Village Center. The Villas at Tristant anticipates breaking ground on its last 14 creekside/slopeside units this spring. In addition to the state-of-the-art
private ski lift and ski/bike bridge, the final Tristant units will feature increased amenities. In addition, The Peaks Resort and Golden Door Spa recently won final approval from the Mountain Village Design Review Board for a major overhaul.
As of press time, an approval from the Mountain Village Town Council was still pending, but if all goes as planned, construction could start as early as spring 2007. Also in the works is One Gondola Place, a large hotel/condominium project
in Mountain Village Center, which as of press time was also awaiting Town Council approval after receiving DRB approval. If it moves forward, One Gondola Place would house the proposed and much-discussed Mountain Village Family Activity Center.
TREC STAFF ATTENDS 2006 CHRISTIE’S CONFERENCE
 Each year, Christie’s Great Estates hosts an annual conference, a highly successful work meeting that sets the stage for objectives in the year ahead. The 2006 conference was held in the event in order to maintain strong ties with their affiliate company, as well as stay abreast of current industry trends. Focal points discussed at the Los Angeles event were branding strategies and a global overview of both the European and North American markets.
CHRISTIE’S SETS NEW ART AUCTION RECORD
Christie’s recently redefined art auction history at an evening sale of Impressionist and Modern Art which totaled $491,472,000 and set a new record for any art auction. Formerly, the record for an Impressionist and Modern Art evening sale was $289 million set in May 1990. Nine new world auction records were set for various artists such as Klimt, Schiele and Kirchner. Such success and figures undoubtedly demonstrates Christie’s presence as the world’s leading art business
and its dominance in the market’s top echelons.
TREC WELCOMES NEW MARKETING DIRECTOR
 Lauren Metzger is Telluride Real Estate Corporation’s new marketing director. Lauren is a recent returnee to Telluride, having lived in town between 1992 and 1999 before coming back in 2006. Originally from Chicago, she went home to the city for a few years, only to realize that she desperately missed the mountains. Lauren has a degree in communication design from New York’s Parson’s School of Design, and was the senior art director at a small design/advertising firm, as well as at a small custom publishing firm. Both positions afforded her ample opportunity to gain experience in the marketing and design aspects of her field. “I’m so thrilled to be back in Telluride and working for such a great group of people with so many familiar faces,” she says.
At TREC, Lauren will oversee the marketing, advertising, office displays and other public relations roles to ensure and maintain the firm’s streamlined image. “We’ve had a stable and diverse marketing plan already in effect, but we’re now ready to accelerate our efforts and take TREC to the next level,” says Lauren.
Telluride Becoming a “Heart-Safe” Community
 Cardiologist Dr. Mark Rosenthal, organizer and director of the Telluride Public Access Defibrillator Program, has announced that 28 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) recently arrived in the Telluride region. AEDs are portable electronic devices, about the size of a laptop, that diagnose and treat cardiac arrest, delivering verbal instructions to its user while even reminding them to call 911.
Some AED locations are: all Gondola Stations, post office lobby, in front of the courthouse, Wilkinson Public Library, Hanley Ice Rink, the Avalanche Closet in Ophir, five locations in the Telluride school system, with planned locations in Mountain Village such as the Conference Center Plaza, Heritage Plaza, Franz Klammer Lodge, Peaks Hotel, and Meadows Post Office. Additionally, Rosenthal hopes to put AEDs in Lawson Hill, Hillside, Placerville, on Galloping Goose buses and in a public area at the Telluride Regional Airport. He also hopes to achieve 100 percent community training in CPR and AED use. Rosenthal, a part-time Ophir resident, says it’s crucial to have defibrillators accessible to all parts of the community to help save lives of heart attack victims.
AMERICAN AIRLINES OFFERS LOCAL FARES
American Airlines is now offering special pricing for Telluride and Montrose residents for savings on flights. “This is a great perk for local travelers,” Tom Hess, president of the Telluride/Montrose Regional Air Program, said in a recent press release. “Due to the support of our revenue guarantee program locally, we’ve been campaigning for these fares
for quite some time. We’re happy to see that American Airlines will be giving this program a try.” To save, one must be an AAdvantage program member and must have his/her account updated with a local Telluride or Montrose area address and zip code. Lowest fares will be from Montrose Tuesdays through Fridays, with a return between Saturdays and Wednesdays, and will be available throughout the ski season (restrictions may apply). Visit aa.com for more details.
BAGGAGE DELIVERY SERVICE
Sports Express will arrange to pick up and deliver your gear directly to Telluride for your vacation. They manage your gear every step of the way and provide trusted delivery, personal attention and 24-hour tracking information. To experience the pleasure of luggage-less travel log on to sportsexpress.com or call 1.800.357.4174.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ON HORIZON
In November, the Telluride Ski Resort
announced a substantial capital improvements
program to include on-mountain and resortwide
operations. To ensure superior groomed
trail conditions, three new snowcats were
added to the fleet, while snowmaking will also
witness significant improvements with a newly
replaced valve house and new equipment.
Gorrono Ranch now has a new outdoor bar
and bandstand, enclosed BBQ area, and larger
kitchen with new equipment, while That Pizza
Place, in the
Plaza at the
base of the
ski area, has
brand new
pizza ovens and more kitchen space, along
with a new name (soon to be released). Ski
School has an upgraded kids’ check-in area
and new Descente uniforms for ski instructors.
All improvements are in response to customer
feedback and focus on an overall improved
guest experience.
COMMITMENT TO GUEST SERVICES
The Telluride Ski Resort recently joined
forces with the Town of Mountain Village and
Mountain Village businesses to create a unified
commitment to guest service. An extensive
training program took place in December and
all Telski managers and frontline employees
participated. Cindy Solomon, a snow sports
industry consultant with Aspen Ski Company,
Canyons Resort, Intrawest, Jackson Hole
Resorts, Killington Resorts and the National
Ski Area Association (NSAA), directed the
guest service training.
 THE GONDOLA HITS DOUBLE DIGITS
The Town of Mountain
Village is celebrating the
10-year anniversary of
the free Gondola transportation
service. The
Gondola has transported
upwards of 26 million
skiers, snowboarders,
cyclists, hikers and pedestrians, which translates
to more than 2.5 million people annually.
The cabins have been rebranded with a new
logo as the first of many promotional events
commemorating the inception the Gondola.
SNOW NEWS IS GOOD NEWS
Klaus Wolter, a climate researcher with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
said the El Niño weather pattern of
recent months should continue or strengthen
in the following months and he’s optimistic
that January through March will be wet for
most of western and southern Colorado. |
