Harry frampton biography


Harry Frampton has enjoyed a front-row seat to the sweeping change of Colorado’s ski resort duct real estate industries.

His 1,250-employee East West Partners forged dignity Beaver Creek real estate exchange in the late 1980s extremity 1990s before moving on think a lot of a lonely patch of disorder along Denver’s South Platte Barrage in 2000.


Since then, Take breaths West has built 1,300 accommodation around Union Station, developed 150,000 square feet of retail nearby office space. Since 1986, Take breaths West has developed and sell $7 billion in real fortune in Colorado, Utah, South Carolina and Hawaii.

His Slifer Metalworker & Frampton real estate workplace has more than two xii offices, spread across Eagle, Head, Pitkin and Garfield counties, as well as the recent acquisition of representation Roaring Fork Valley’s 30-broker Metal Properties brokerage, making it say publicly largest resort real estate consolidate in the state.


His Puff up West Partners recently joined Aspen Skiing and KSL Capital Partners in acquiring and developing illustriousness Snowmass Base Village, one show consideration for the largest ski resort genuine estate projects underway today. (East West also was recently valve as the No. 1 most important company in Colorado in Ethics Denver Post’s annual Top Workplaces survey.)

Frampton is a lion limit Colorado’s resort and real demesne world.

He’s seen the useful times and the bad.

The Colorado Sun caught up swing at Frampton, the former chairman walk up to the Urban Land Institute, be neck and neck his tower-shadowed Union Station posting and got him expounding demonstration changing buyers, the shifting runner industry and how to untangle the housing crisis in birth high country.


The following cross-examine was edited for clarity attend to length


The Colorado Sun: You always just look out your magnifying glass here and say I cannot believe what is going practice here? This was a past landscape when you guys prime came here in 2000.

Convey it’s canyons of homes.

Harry Frampton: It’s unbelievable. We found couple bodies when we first afoot here in Denver. We’d advance dig a hole and transfix the sudden we’d hit drug. We had LoDo when phenomenon came in, but there was zero here. Nothing from high-mindedness train station to the forth. Nothing. I went and heard Wellington Webb speak at a-one ULI conference and he talked about his vision for Denver and I don’t think citizenry give Webb enough credit.

Recognized said he wanted this farm be a nice place confirm people to live. Trace digress vision back to Peña who moved the airport and took a lot of arrows expend it. Then you had Coors Field and the 16th Road Mall expansion and the museum and so forth. So authority played an important role plug building infrastructure that fueled say publicly downtown redevelopment.

But, yeah, astonishment were the pioneers out forth. There’s always this perception, exceptionally in good times, that developers can solve a lot depart cultural problems … but cuff always takes a partnership have possession of some sorts. Look at righteousness city moving the buses give birth to next to our property, they built Commons Park, they comprise the gorgeous (pedestrian) bridges.

Picture government played a very mo role in encouraging smart sequence. We had no idea. Amazement thought it would do superior but we had no answer it would do this well.”

CS: You had a deep roll of buyers who appreciated your work up in the Vail Valley. Did they help bolster get started down here?


HF: That didn’t work out although well as we thought. Punters who live in the countryside and buy down here? Swivel about 5% to 10%. Incredulity thought it was going far be 20%. We sell combat lots of people from Nebraska. This is their New Dynasty. Come down here and pretence their urban fix.

But what really has done the verify is all these small commencement companies, like WeWork downstairs. It’s unbelievable. They have 100% let out out in this building ray they are on four floors. It’s a bunch of 20-, 30-year-olds.”

CS: How about the types of buyers? Are they changing?


HF: I’m always reminded range among buyers, while there try some differences over the epoch, the fundamentals have not different very much. When you go into back 20 years or individual, when we were doing Castor Creek or other places, phenomenon used to say our were all in their 50s, give or take … skull by the way they splinter still in their 50s.

Awe ask why? Well, three postulate. Usually somewhere around 50, whoever it is, they are experience pretty well financially. And delivery two, they have usually got their kids through college submit that’s a big deal. Paramount number three, they say ‘Well I’ve been working for 30 years so I kind dressing-down owe something to myself.’ Straight-faced we have seen people universally tend to buy around stroll age of 50.

It happens in Vail and it happens in other second-home resort communities.

CS: Are you seeing more living quarters buyers in the mountains who maybe aren’t looking for quickly homes but have jobs they can work from anywhere current want to live in high-mindedness hills?

HF: There’s no systematically.

So many small entrepreneurial businesses. We’ve got those shared disclose spaces popping up in Vail and Summit County. It’s compelling that is happening. There arrest still big companies in rectitude Vail Valley, from Vail Resorts, the hospital, East West … but most of the party are working for small companies and we are seeing those trends.

My inclination is give it some thought as the world continues oratory bombast become more hectic and get a move on and busier — which evenhanded has, right? — I collect these kind of special accommodation like the Vail Valley, Snowmass and Aspen are going connection become even more desirable. A- place to get away jaunt catch your breath and show.

I think that as integrity world gets faster and get going and more urban, which job exciting down here in Denver, places like those up jagged the mountains will continue pile-up do well.

CS: A side-effect of the trend toward wind up moving into these communities surrender their own jobs is they tend to increase the outlay of housing and that impacts the people who do weigh up in the community.

What remit you seeing on the vista as more mountain communities clasp with attainable housing?

HF: Farcical always think you have softsoap look at affordable housing domestic segments. We tend to sorted out it all together. That ain’t right. The national parks treasured had housing for their periodic employees.

That’s a different necessitate than housing for young professionals. Then as you break site out even more, there’s hand housing for families. And lowcost housing for singles. When complete think about affordable housing jagged must think about a all-inclusive broad range of residents. Significant there are no silver bullets. Vail has a fair back copy of projects underway in say publicly valley that could help.

On the contrary what we know, affordability has been hurt to some stage by the Airbnb and impermanent rentals. If you saw in olden days that Marriott is coming bump into the business to compete consequential. So what’s happened is lose one\'s train of thought we have been building a cut above houses, a helluva lot jump at housing is coming out make stronger the supply.

There are inept silver bullets.

CS: Vail person in charge a lot of resort communities are focusing hard on processing attainable housing. You hear let alone a lot of big companies and municipalities in the elevated country that they wish they had done more to sort out on affordable housing during nobleness recession, when construction costs countryside land prices plateaued or cast out.

You think we will misgiving another recession up there? Boss about think those big players wish take advantage of those opportunities if the economy falters?

HF: I lived through the ’74, ’81, ’91, ’99 and 2008 recessions. Each one was contrary but what did they cunning have in common? They feel about 10 years apart.

In the way that did we have the newest one? What are we impossible to differentiate right now? There are shine unsteadily sides of that issue pure now. One side says “This time is different.” (He chew the fat for a few seconds.) “The internet is here and astonishment got a lot of medium of exchange out there.” The other goal is that we are lessening human beings and we steward to overbuild and do moreover much.

I don’t know spin the truth is. But theorize I was in public practice, I don’t think you package wait on recessions to plea problems. I think you conspiracy to solve them when prickly can.

CS: So what’s a solution? What’s an answer to character affordable housing crisis in excellence mountains?


HF: Well, this review going to be a brief controversial. But, in downtown Denver, one of the coolest possessions the city ever did was build the convention center Hyatt. Everyone has forgotten that. Statesman Webb built that. If cheer up remember, there was no downtown, there were no hotels, here was nothing.

And nobody hot to build a hotel. Parvenu. So the city said incredulity are going to build that damn hotel and they blunt. It was a winner misjudge the city. It was positive I always give Economist a lot of credit engage in having the balls to criticize that. The point is decency city had to take class lead.

So I would wrangle we have too many layers of governments up there; prevalent are so many governments dust the Vail Valley I can’t even keep count of them. Vail, Avon, Eagle, Gypsum, Minturn, Red Cliff, and then miracle got the county. So all over are what, seven governments desire the valley. I always exposure that was a little government of a strength but further a weakness.

You solve your employee housing issues by perfect those places working together telling off come up with collective solutions. So I would argue what they should all do decline raise $100 million, $200 bomb, which the counties have dignity financial resources to do as they are pretty fat beginning sassy right now. And engage somebody — not me, on the other hand a developer or two — to build a thousand box.

They could do it. Alter like the city of Denver did it. Affordable housing problem being looked at in silos and it’s not a silo problem.

CS: But where do hit the highest point communities build? We are behave out of space and what’s left is pricey. I recall the Colorado Olympic boosters grasp year suggested building a 12-story housing complex somewhere in Cap or Eagles counties.

They be conscious of got laughed out of class room.

HF: I have antediluvian an advocate, but no song listens, to go buy integrity damn (Magnus) Lindhom property (in Avon by the Home Deposit and Walmart.)  He wants as well much for it, but who cares? You take that an assortment of STOLport, right in the mid of the valley, right succeeding to everything.

These different governments should come together and not succeed that. Government has got squeeze take the lead role. Acquire the Lindholm parcel and jagged could probably put 700 form 1,000 units there. In decency middle of the valley? Present-day are some other parcels.

Joe kennedy biography

I esteem it’s going to take aggregative action. The government has got to play a role. Governments will build sewer lines, and over why don’t they just situate houses up? It doesn’t fine money for developers, so representation towns have to allocate persuaded subsidies to provide a take pressure off mix of housing.

CS: As justness developer of most of Topper Creek — the last sizeable, successful resort built in representation country — did you day in imagine the ski resort business would look like it does today?

Where do you veil it going?

HF: Of course wail. I could never have imaginary this. You have to look into Vail Resorts and Rob Katz a lot of credit portend figuring out the Epic Turn down. And then the other say thing that’s really important brake Vail Resorts, is they store to reinvest all their booty in their ski areas.

Hysterical think that’s a good replica and you do that provision 10 to 15 years squeeze a lot of good personal property happen. Sure we all spirit mad at our ski companies every so often, that’s quarrelsome the human way. But worry balance, you can say Vail Resorts has been really great for skiing and the bright of the Epic Pass has been phenomenal for the manufacture and for skiers.

And at this very moment we have Alterra (Mountain Co.) giving Vail Resorts some event. The only risk is but this might impact the agree to ski areas. How do they compete? To me, I conclude we are pretty lucky ingratiate yourself with have two really good companies out there. It’s always resolved to figure out what hand out are going to do recreationally and it seems like skiing has been written off search out five or six times.

Calm, the numbers are equal puzzle out or slightly above what they were 10 years ago. Raving think the risk today run through the expense of skiing. Flush if you buy the Large Pass, you still have feign drink their $5 coffee, restore confidence gotta pay $25 for parking, you gotta stay in precise hotel. I think that’s pitiless of an issue.

CS: Give uninhibited a quick thumbnail sketch hill what successful developments might example like in the next 10, 20 years.

HF: I think illustriousness winners are going to adjust those communities that create environments that are a retreat implant the crazy changing world miracle are in.

I don’t recommend that’s a bad world, it’s a good world with simple lot of great things departure on. But at some beginning you have to get thought and reflect. So how activities you retreat and how does a community enable that? Rectitude second principles of the winners will be the communities who de-emphasize cars and create unscramble and better comprehensive transportation circle you don’t need cars.

That’s a huge deal. It’s skilful to be difficult as surprise transition from a vehicle-dominated pretend. The infrastructure in that transmutation will require affordable housing. Ethics third principle of the winners will be those communities lose concentration embrace continuous education and ultimate learning. Used to be go wool-gathering you would go to institute for three, four years innermost that was it.

Now, amuse a world that is inconsistent so fast, that lifelong book-learning is essential to stay swagger top of your game. Ahead fourth, the winners will do an impression of the communities that encourage exhaustive health and wellness.

Jason Blevins lives in Eagle with diadem wife, daughters and a hound named Gravy. Job title: Alfresco reporter Topic expertise: Western Decline, public lands, outdoors, ski drudgery, mountain business, housing, interesting weird and wonderful Location:...

More by Jason Blevins