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Colorado - Fri. 09/04/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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NOTICE OF HOLIDAY CLOSURE FROM ALPINE BANK
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All Alpine Bank branches will be closed in observance of Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7. We invite you to use Alpine Online or the Alpine Mobile app for 24/7 banking access, even when we are closed. Learn more at the link below.
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ALTERRA MOUNTAIN CO. MOVING HQ TO DOWNTOWN DENVER, DEPARTING LONGTIME RINO HOME
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Alterra Mountain Co. won't be ditching Colorado for Utah. Instead, the ski giant will move its headquarters to downtown Denver. Alterra is set to move into the former Denver Post building at 101 W. Colfax Ave., which the city of Denver has owned since 2023. Alterra is eligible to receive nearly $11 million in public incentives for the move, split between funding from the Denver Downtown Development Authority and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Alterra, an international ski giant, was founded in Denver nine years ago and has occupied about 40,000 square feet in the Zeppelin Station building at 3501 Wazee St. since 2018. The company will swap its home in the River North Art District area for a building at the edge of downtown. It is unclear exactly how many employees will work at the new headquarters, with reports indicating Alterra has an estimated 400 employees in Denver.
Alterra Mountain Co. was founded in 2017 through a joint venture by Denver-based travel and leisure-focused private equity and investment firm Henry Crown & Co. In the nine years it has operated, the company has grown to own 19 ski areas and more than a dozen heli-ski operations. In Colorado, Alterra owns Steamboat Ski Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area and operates Winter Park Resort. It also owns the Ikon Pass, which gives skiers access to dozens of ski areas around the world.
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DENVER ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION CLEANUP PLAN AT SLOAN'S LAKE
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Sloan’s Lake, part of one of the largest parks in Denver, has been slowly filling in with stormwater sludge. The surprisingly shallow water is often quite warm, making it a difficult environment for fish to survive and an easy place for dangerous algae blooms to thrive. If the accumulating muck isn’t addressed soon, the lake is at risk of becoming fully stagnant and bereft of life. On Wednesday, Denver Mayor Mike announced a plan to invest tens of millions of dollars to prevent that from happening. “A lake that used to be 12 feet deep is in some places only 4 feet deep. It affects the lake’s health. It affects algae blooms. It affects our most beloved events,” Johnston said from the lake’s shore. “We think there’s nothing more important for the long-term health of this neighborhood than to support the long-term health of this lake.”
To raise more money for the cleanup effort, Johnston’s administration will ask the Denver Urban Renewal Authority to add the lake to a nearby urban renewal district south of the park. That would allow it to benefit from money raised through an already-approved tax incentive in the area. If the DURA board and the City Council give their OK, the city could be reimbursed for up to $40 million in spending on the lake. That would mean significant headway for the project, which has been estimated to cost at least $130 million overall.
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DENVER RECEIVES $125,000 GRANT TO REBUILD CITY PARK BANDSTAND
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Two Colorado philanthropists have donated $125,000 to the City and County of Denver so that the historic City Park bandstand can be rebuilt. The nearly 100-year-old bandstand was destroyed by a fire in March. On Wednesday, Mayor Mike Johnston’s office announced that Scott Miller and Tim Gill, a married couple who co-chair the philanthropic Gill Foundation, gave the grant to the Denver Park Trust, which is raising funds to rebuild the bandstand. The grant will be paired with the $125,000 already raised by the trust, City Park Alliance, City Park Friends and Neighbors and Denver Parks and Recreation. The combined money will be used to cover the cost of an insurance deductible.
While Denver fire investigators initially posited that arson was the cause of the fire, a final investigation report issued last month could not determine the cause of the fire. The bandstand has served as the centerpiece for City Park Jazz, and the festival had to continue on without it this year. The city will soon demolish the remains of the structure and will have a new bandstand in place for the 2027 City Park Jazz season.
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ASPEN AIRPORT REVAMP ESTIMATED TO COST NEARLY $680 MILLION
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A major redevelopment of the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport is now estimated to cost nearly $680 million — a number that won’t get any smaller unless county leaders make some compromises. That’s according to Brad Jacobsen from the aviation consulting firm Jacobsen Daniels, who presented at a joint meeting of the Pitkin Board of County Commissioners and Airport Advisory Board on Tuesday. Airport planners expect grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to cover some of the costs, and the county has voter approval to borrow up to $340 million through a bond. But that still won’t buy everything people have imagined for the site.
The $677.6 million price tag shared on Tuesday includes the cost of a new, wider runway and the first phase of a new terminal, along with several other infrastructure updates. It factors in the “hard costs” of construction, roughly 70 percent of the total, as well as “soft costs” like design and planning. Under the current estimates, airfield projects ring in at $317.6 million, and terminal and landside projects come in at $360 million. Those numbers are still subject to change.
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GRAND MESA, UNCOMPAHGRE & GUNNISON NATIONAL FORESTS END FIRE RESTRICTIONS
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The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests are lifting their Stage 1 Fire Restrictions and allowing unrestricted fire use for anyone recreating in the forests as of Sept. 3. The fire restrictions are being lifted thanks to the much-needed rain that has moved across the region recently. Improved fuel moisture levels across the forest have reduced overall fire danger, allowing fire managers to lift restrictions. However, the Forest Service is still warning people to be aware of fire risk. With restrictions lifted, campfires are once again allowed outside developed campgrounds and recreation sites. However, neighboring federal, state and local jurisdictions may still have restrictions in place.
Forest visitors should continue practicing safe fire habits, especially in areas with dry vegetation or heavy dead and downed trees, the release stated. Wildfire prevention practices include never leaving a campfire unattended, using designated fire rings or established fire sites whenever possible, clearing flammable materials around campfire areas and fully extinguishing campfires. Even accidental ignitions can result in civil or criminal penalties. Learn more about campfire safety at smokeybear.com.
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SEASONAL FLIGHTS ANNOUNCED FOR MONTROSE, TELLURIDE
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A handful of flight schedules recently announced by the Colorado Flights Alliance shows the return of several temporary, direct routes connecting the Montrose and Telluride airports to major hubs across the nation this ski season. The list of 14 nonstop routes across five airlines will run at varying times between mid-December and late March, connecting Montrose and Telluride airports to major cities across the nation. Options will include daily service between Montrose and Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York City. It also includes a Thursday/Sunday route between Telluride and Phoenix, and a handful of less frequent flights connecting the two airports to destinations like Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The Colorado Flights Alliance offers funding to major carriers to arrange the seasonal direct flights to relatively small, mountain-area towns every year. Elsewhere on the Western Slope, Grand Junction’s airport doesn’t expect much in the way of additional traffic or new nonstop routes this winter. The local travel hub saw 23 percent of its traffic in the first quarter of this year and expects a similar level of movement through its gates in early 2027.
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HIGH GAS PRICES, HEAVY TRAFFIC: WHAT TO EXPECT FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND TRAVEL IN COLORADO'S MOUNTAINS
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The unofficial end to summer is likely to bring heavy traffic to Colorado’s mountains this Labor Day weekend, and filling up at the pump will cost motorists noticeably more than last year. Denver ranks No. 4 in AAA’s top domestic destinations this weekend based on the travel group’s booking data, which includes flights, hotels and car rentals. Motorists will also pay more for gas this holiday weekend compared to last. As of Sept. 2, the average price per gallon in Colorado was $4.27, according to AAA. That’s up more than $1 from that same time last year, when the average price was $3.14. Gas prices remain higher on the Western Slope.
The average price per gallon as of Sept. 2:
- $5.75 in Pitkin County
- $4.87 in Routt County
- $4.74 in Garfield County
- $4.69 in Eagle County
- $4.54 in Grand County
- $4.43 in Summit County
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DIA BRACES FOR BUSY LABOR DAY WEEKEND TRAVEL
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Denver International Airport is bracing for a busy Labor Day weekend. More than 368,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport’s security checkpoints from Thursday to Monday — approximately the same number of travelers during this time last year. The airport predicted the busiest travel days would be Friday and Monday where more than 87,000 passengers were predicted to pass through security. The airport recommended passengers check TSA security wait times at FlyDenver.com/security and arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to their boarding time. The security lines are typically the longest between 3 to 4:30 a.m., 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.
- The Level 6 south bridge connecting the east and west terminal is temporarily closed because of ongoing construction, so passengers should arrive on the side of the terminal where their airline is located. United Airlines is on the west side of level 6. Southwest and Frontier are on the east side. All other airlines are in the center of Level 5 through mid-2027.
- The National Weather Service in Boulder forecasts scattered showers and storms each day this weekend in the afternoon and evening, so travelers should be prepared for possible flight delays.
- According to AAA, Denver is the fourth most popular domestic destination for air travelers this Labor Day weekend.
- Average domestic airfare increased 2 percent from last year, averaging $750 for a roundtrip ticket. However, travelers headed to the most popular Labor Day destinations — such as Denver — can expect nearly 20 percent higher airfare than the previous year, averaging $790.
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HUNTING SEASONS START IN COLORADO
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The 2026 hunting seasons have begun but hunters aren’t the only ones rushing to the outdoors this fall to enjoy everything Colorado has to offer. Colorado Parks and Wildlife emphasizes the shared responsibility of safety among hunters, hikers, bikers, leaf peepers, wildlife viewers and OHV users. As most of Colorado’s outdoors is multi-use, it’s crucial for both hunters and nonhunters to show respect and courtesy to all users engaged in outdoor recreation. How can nonhunters prepare for hunting season? The majority of public lands in Colorado are open to multiple types of recreational use. There is no need to limit your outdoor activities in the fall; however, nonhunters should recognize that hunters are on the landscape and take additional precautions. A general knowledge of hunting season dates and safety tips can help keep you safe. See the 2026 Big Game Brochure for a complete list of season dates.
Big game season dates:
- Rifle bear season – Sept. 2-30, 2026
- Archery season – Sept. 2-30, 2026
- Muzzleloader season – Sept. 12-20, 2026
Rifle seasons:
- 1st season – Oct. 14-18, 2026
- 2nd season – Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, 2026
- 3rd season – Nov. 7-15, 2026
- 4th season – Nov. 18-22, 2026
Additional limited licenses are still available for deer, elk, pronghorn and bear, and you can still purchase over-the-counter licenses for bear, elk, pronghorn and white-tailed deer. Limited licenses that weren’t issued in the primary or secondary draws, along with reissued licenses that were returned by other hunters, go on the Leftover List and are available for purchase in-person at any CPW sales location, online, or over the phone at 800-244-5613.
- If you have questions about setting up your accounts, planning your hunts, or purchasing licenses, customer service representatives and hunt planners are available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. MT at 303-297-1192.
- Hunting resources are available at cpw.state.co.us/hunting.
- Learn more about outdoor recreation opportunities in Colorado at cpw.state.co.us.
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MARKET UPDATE - 09/03/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 09/02/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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