Alterra Mountain Company, the resort group known for the Ikon Pass, isn’t leaving Colorado, instead shifting its headquarters from one Denver district to the next, per a newly announced agreement.
This summer, amid reports that the company was considering moving to Utah from its current home in Denver’s RiNo district, local officials put together a package to entice Alterra to stay put, The Denver Post reported.
A recent news release from the Governor’s Office also said that Mayor Mike Johnston and Governor Jared Polis began meeting with Alterra after learning that the company intended to “explore opportunities” inside and outside Colorado.
In moving its headquarters to the former Denver Post building at 101 W. Colfax Ave, Alterra is eligible for nearly $11 million in public incentives from the state and city. They include a mix of loans, tax credits, and grants. One loan from the Downtown Denver Development Authority is $7 million at a 2% interest rate.
The decision keeps a sizable chunk of the big ski business in and around the Denver area. Vail Resorts, which sells the Epic Pass, is headquartered in Broomfield outside downtown.
The Denver Post moved its newsroom staff from the Colfax Ave building in 2018 to a printing facility in Commerce City. The structure was later bought by the city of Denver from Kayan LLC in 2024 for $88.5 million and was once slated to house courtrooms, but those plans got nixed.
According to the Post, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston emphasized that the Development Authority incentives weren’t contingent on Alterra choosing a city-owned building, just one in Upper Downtown. It was among four options considered.
Johnston, in the release, said the agreement “keeps hundreds of great-paying jobs in the city and can make Upper Downtown a base camp for the outdoor economy.”
Alterra’s chairman of the board, Eric Resnick, said the company was grateful to the state and the city “for their partnership and swift collaboration in helping us get here.”
If approved by the city council, Alterra will move into two partial floors of the building for a 12-year term. The release said the company plans to build out and improve the space first and will likely move in employees in 2027.
In leasing part of the building, the release said it will partner with the city to reimagine the famed Denver Post “news ticker,” which once showed breaking news updates. In the future, it could instead show daily snow reports.
Related: Summer Snow Falls on Mountain Bikers at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
