Now under the town of Silverthorne’s ownership, the Silver Inn will keep its lodging use, but it won’t be an accommodation open to the general public. 

At a Wednesday, Feb. 11, meeting, Silverthorne Town Council showed support for town staff members’ recommendation to use the Silver Inn to provide short-term accommodations for town employees, those visiting to work with the town or community organizations and first responders. This is not planned to be a long-term solution, and town staff members said the building will serve this use for around five years. 

Silverthorne officials authorized the town to purchase the 30-year-old, 30-key hotel for just under $5.3 million dollars in December. It also has a two-bedroom, two-bath manager’s apartment. The two-story, approximately 13,400-square-foot building off Colorado Highway 9 is next to Target, making for a fairly central location in town. 

Housing Manager Vicente Kemp Lobo said, after talking with different town departments and community organizations, town staff members are recommending to use the building for a variety of purposes. Those could include providing more flexibility for the Silverthorne Police Department, serving as lodging for visiting entertainment acts performing at events like Silverthorne’s First Fridays and helping out in-commuting town employees when weather-related emergencies shut down major roadways. 

“I love the idea of using it the way that it is listed (in the staff memo),” Council Member Tim Applegate said. “I think we all thought that was a good use of it.” 

He asked if the town would provide the lodging for free or at a cost. He said it would cost the town money to maintain the building and ensure rooms are cleaned. Currently, staff is considering hiring a property management company to maintain and operate the building, Lobo said.  

He said it will be up to the town to determine the level of cost recovery officials and staff members want to see. He said it could be counterintuitive to charge town employees because the money would just end up coming from and then going back to the town. He said the town could charge outside organizations who want to use the accommodation. 

Council member Erin Young wanted to hear Silverthorne Police Chief Alice Cary’s opinion on the proposal, wondering if it would be beneficial for her department. 

Stay connected to Summit County.

Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters at SummitDaily.com/newsletter

Cary said the department currently has a two-bedroom condo, and it can be inconvenient at times because there can be up to eight staying at the condo at once. She said the offering could help more than just the Silverthorne Police Department. 

“With staffing shortages at other law enforcement (agencies) and first responders in the county, I think it would be quite beneficial for them to utilize that space, but at a cost, so they can help recruit and retain for their agencies as well,” she said. 

Applegate agreed outside agencies should pay to use the Silver Inn so there’s some cost recovery for the town. 

Council member Amy Manka wanted to ensure the town took a fiscally responsible approach to the proposal, noting there’s much of the building and its amenities that can still be used, encouraging the town to consider that before they “gut it and get rid of it.” Applegate asked if there’s been a facilities analysis done on the building. 

Interim town manager Mark Leidal said the town’s facilities manager examined the building and determined it’s in good shape and wouldn’t need to have any costly repairs. A staff memo noted the Silver Inn requires some preparatory efforts like securing the building, managing snow removal and conducting a deep cleaning before it’s ready for occupancy. It detailed these efforts could happen in the next few weeks.  

Council members asked Theatre SilCo producing artistic director Chris Alleman if his community organization would take advantage of the accommodation for hosting talent for their shows. 

Alleman said the theater couldn’t use the offering for actors because they require a kitchen, but it could be used for crew members and designers. He said the theater sees opportunities to partner with the town on the idea. 

The town does not yet have a solidified timeline as to when the accommodation could open, according to Communications Director Kristina Nayden.