RMI office, Willits hotel on schedule to be completed in 2015

A new hotel at Willits is on track to open at the beginning of next ski season, and the Rocky Mountain Institute plans to occupy its new office and Innovation Center near downtown Basalt by the end of 2015.

Both projects broke ground in October. A mild winter helped keep construction on schedule, according to representatives of both sites.

The crews working on the 113-room Elements by Westin hotel are close to starting interior work, such as extending the plumbing and electrical wiring, according to Ed Mace, CEO of Silverwest Hotel Partners. The company teamed with Willits owner and developer Mariner Real Estate Management to build the hotel.

The hotel also will have an indoor pool and hot tub as well as a fitness center. Mace said there will be two small retail spaces incorporated in the building. Basalt Bike and Ski will open a satellite operation in one space; the shops main store is located a couple blocks away. Bonfire Coffee will open a coffee bar, he said.

The hotel wont offer room service and it wont have a restaurant, so its expected to generated additional business for the nearby eating establishments.

Hotel construction has been rare in western U.S. mountain resorts since the recession hit in 2008, Ralf Garrison, head of DestiMetrics, said recently. Garrison works with properties in resorts, including Aspen and Snowmass Village, on travel trends and occupancy rates. He said the only hotels and lodges that got built during the recession were started before the tough times hit. Demand outgrew supply after the recession, driving up the average daily rate in many destinations.

Mace agreed with the market analysis. He said he thought Basalt would be a good match for a hotel in Westins Elements brand before the recession. The concept was on hold until the economy regained steam.

Shaw Construction is the general contractor on the hotel.

The Rocky Mountain Institute is building its office and Innovation Center just west of downtown along the Roaring Fork River. The nonprofit organization has teamed with the architect, engineer and builder on a building that will showcase its energy-efficiency ideals. The institute calls the 15,610-square-foot building a beyond state of the art office and convening center.

The Innovation Center will be among the highest performing buildings in the world, the institute said in a project description it is using the educate people about the construction. More than just energy efficient, it will be a restorative building, generating more energy than it uses.

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RMI office, Willits hotel on schedule to be completed in 2015