03 Aug Caverns Village Employee Housing Opens
Rental units for Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Iron Mountain Hot Springs employees, as well as other Glenwood Springs residents, provides welcome relief in a tight, pricey housing market.
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Iron Mountain Hot Springs are two of Glenwood Springs’ biggest attractions. Visitors come from all over the U.S. and the world to experience one-of-a-kind thrill rides and cave tours, as well as to soak in the riverside geothermal waters.
Keeping both operations running smoothly requires a staff of trained and dedicated employees. Between the two properties, Adventure Park and Iron Mountain employ approximately 300 people during the peak summer season. Unfortunately, both properties were losing employees at a frustrating rate, including highly skilled managers, due to the low inventory and high cost of in-town housing.
Owners Steve and Jeanne Beckley sought to proactively solve the dilemma. After listening to their employees and prioritizing their needs, the owners recognized that subsidized housing would be an effective solution in retaining employees in a highly competitive rental market.
Caverns Village, conveniently located near both Iron Mountain Hot Springs and the base of the Caverns’ Glenwood Gondola, officially opened on August 1. The second and third-floor level apartments have one-bedroom, one-bath and two-bedroom, two-bath layouts. They are deed-restricted and available to anyone who resides in Glenwood Springs, but the Beckleys are giving their employees first dibs on occupancy.
Taking care of employees is nothing new for the attraction owners who think of workers as extended family. During the pandemic when both properties were closed for a significant stretch, rather than laying off people, management chose to keep employees busy at the mountain-top theme park and hot springs with numerous projects even though there were no guests fueling revenue streams. Providing affordable employee housing is an extension of a corporate ethos that puts people first.
While the new apartment complex is a welcome addition to the strained Glenwood Springs housing scene, it took some creative planning and collaboration to bring the project to fruition. As an engineer and natural problem solver, Steve Beckley reached out to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) which occupied a dated building adjacent to the hot springs. He worked out an arrangement in which CDOT gets beautiful, new ground floor offices in Caverns Village in exchange for their old building and parking area.
As Iron Mountain Hot Springs grows and expands its guest offerings, the additional space for parking will come in handy. Development is currently underway for 10 new soaking pools which are scheduled to open in 2022. Stay tuned for updates and progress reports on the expansion.
Learn more about Iron Mountain Hot Springs and make reservations to soak today!
Karin Gamba
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