Winter Park Resort Zephyr Lift Replacement

Enhancing the mountain experience with faster access, greater capacity, and modern lift infrastructure.

Saunders completed its first on-mountain project for Winter Park Resort in 2018, replacing the Zephyr Express chairlift with a new 10-person gondola designed to improve guest access and reduce wait times during peak ski season.

The new gondola increased uphill capacity to 3,600 guests per hour, replacing the existing high-speed quad chairlift with a more efficient and comfortable transportation system. The project included construction of a new maintenance building, upper and lower gondola terminals, and snow-melted plaza areas that enhance the loading and unloading experience for skiers and riders. Saunders also completed a tenant improvement build-out within the existing lower gondola building to accommodate the control cabin and IT infrastructure.

Delivered on a fast-track schedule, the project required an intensive preconstruction and design effort that advanced from concept to 100% construction documents in just eight weeks. Close coordination with the gondola manufacturer and installation team ensured the system was operational in time for the 2018-2019 ski season, providing guests with improved mountain access and reducing peak-season wait times by approximately 15 minutes.