Lionshead core project is ‘Arrabelle’ at Vail Square
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VAIL ” When Vail Resorts named the centerpiece of its $500 million redevelopment in Vail “Arrabelle at Vail Square” they wanted visitors to make mental connections between the nearby gondola, Vail Village and Lionshead.
Construction on the 2.27 -acre site ” where the old Lionshead gondola building now sits ” will begin in 2005. Arrabelle will have luxury 39 room RockResorts European-style hotel, restaurants, a winter skating rink, 70 private residences and penthouses, and a new pedestrian mall.
The name, a mixture of French and German words, means “beautiful eagle,” said Adam Aron, the Vail Resorts’ chief executive.
The project also includes the new skier bridge that opened in Lionshead this season.
“We wanted to chose a name that evoked the charm, romance and vitality of the European-style pedestrian villages that were the inspiration for this exciting project,” Aron said. “And with the goal of bringing Lionshead and Vail Village closer together as one continuous experience.”
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Vail Village and Lionshead are nearly a half-mile apart and many pedestrians use the town’s free bus service that runs between the
two villages.
The development is part of the $1 billion Vail-area redevelopment dubbed the “Vail Renaissance,” that town leaders hope will reinvigorate the 42-year-old ski area.
The development in Lionshead also includes more than 35,000 square feet of new retail space that will include ski storage and tune-up facilities, boutiques, galleries, restaurants and other businesses.
The winter ice rink will double in the summer as a town square.
Like Vail Village, the new facility in Lionshead will have a clock tower and even a Glockenspiel to help cement its European theme.
Staff Writer Cliff Thompson can be reached at (970) 949-0555, ext. 450, or cthompson@vaildaily.com
Vail Colorado
