Town of Vail to host March 29 meeting on Slifer Square reconstruction

The Town of Vail is inviting interested residents and members of the business community to join in the planning process for repairs and maintenance to Slifer Square during an introductory open house on Tuesday, March 29 in the Vail Town Council Chambers, 75 S. Frontage Road. The meeting includes a drop-in open house format beginning at 4 p.m. followed by a staff presentation starting at 5:30 p.m. Parking is free and light refreshments will be served.

Slifer Square is Vail’s iconic pedestrian gateway to the Covered Bridge in Vail Village and serves as the venue for the annual tree lighting ceremony, among other events. The plaza is in need of major underground repairs which will require significant excavation and disruption, according to Todd Oppenheimer, the town’s capital projects manager.

During the open house, an overview of the required infrastructure work will be presented. That work, budgeted at $1.3 million, includes:

• Removal and replacement of approximately 60 feet of damaged storm sewer which is located beneath Slifer Fountain
• Installation of a water quality treatment vault near the Covered Bridge to prevent storm water discharge into Gore Creek
• Repairs to Slifer Fountain to address a significant water leak
• Removal and replacement of approximately 200 feet of steel snow melt mains with non-corrosive snow melt mains

As part of the construction, the project also presents opportunities for functional improvements within the plaza, such as adjustments to pedestrian circulation and landscaping, as well as public art components.

The meeting will be used to collect comments and ideas on the sequencing of the upcoming excavation work which could begin as soon as 2017, as well as comments related to any above-ground modifications that should be considered.

Major repairs to Slifer Square were last completed in 1998 with the construction of the Austria Haus hotel. The space is named for Rod Slifer, who has served as Vail’s mayor from 1977-1983 and again in 2003-2005.

For more information on the project, contact Todd Oppenheimer, the town’s capital projects manager, at 970-479-2161.