By Hayden Seder
An out-of-state commercial real estate developer will have a major role in refining a part of Ketchum that sits between Bald Mountain and the heart of downtown.
Utah-based commercial real estate development firm PEG has announced plans to build a boutique hotel in Ketchum’s Gateway District, with the goal of breaking ground in the spring of 2020. Given the importance of the location, the firm has created a digital survey for Valley residents to submit their input on the project.
“Boutique hotels are designed and curated specifically for each geographical area in which they enter,” said Nick Blayden, development manager and project lead for PEG. “No two boutique hotels are alike, and we think this unique opportunity is a perfect fit for Ketchum.”
PEG, one of Utah’s leading development firms since 2003, is currently working with the City of Ketchum to obtain a building permit that would approve the construction of a full-service boutique hotel on a vacant parcel located where the west side of Main Street meets East River Street.
Ketchum and the surrounding area have been home to many other recent high-profile developments such as the Limelight Hotel and the Argyros Performing Arts Center on Main Street, and many other construction projects continue to change the face of this ski resort town.
Unlike those other projects, though, PEG is uniquely surveying the community for input before launching into construction. The 10-question survey asks participants to weigh in on development priorities and design preferences as well as provides open fields where people can ask questions and express concerns. Questions include residential status (whether you live in Ketchum or a neighboring area), a scale of general feelings toward the project, ranking development priorities, and more.
“Because we believe that successful projects require collaboration with the communities we enter, we facilitate some form of a public input period on all of our projects, but it isn’t always a survey,” said Blayden in reference to the proposed hotel. “Make no mistake, the survey is not the only way PEG plans on gathering community feedback, but it is at least an effective way to start.”
Results from the survey will be analyzed and individual participants may be contacted for input clarification whereupon any recurring themes in the feedback will be worked into the hotel’s plans as much as possible. Blayden explains that the hotel is meant to be a gathering place that embodies the unique cultural and geographical elements of Ketchum, not a place that detracts from it.
“Who understands how to support that vibe better than the very people who live there?” Blayden said.
Mayor Neil Bradshaw is on board, both with the hotel and their approach to getting community input.
“I am delighted that PEG has chosen to invest in Ketchum, and I am encouraged by their planned community outreach program,” Bradshaw said. “A project that maintains the charm and character of Ketchum is central to our vision for the city, and community input is essential in this process. I hope many stakeholders participate in the survey.”
PEG has developed in the city before, building the 39,000-square-foot Frenchman’s Place mixed-use development in 2005, giving the company a sense of the area and what its residents are looking for.
“Having developed in Ketchum before, we understand how uniquely invested residents are in the preservation of their beautiful city,” said Cameron Gunter, chief executive officer at PEG. “As a company, we aim to design a hotel that blends seamlessly with Ketchum’s cultural and geographical landscape and to add value to the community. That is why we are asking people to share their priorities and concerns with us through the survey.”
To take the survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/6P6JWKW.