You might be hard-pressed to find someone in the U.S. today who hasn’t heard of Park City. Between the hosting, the internationally renowned Sundance Film Festival for 45 years and welcoming the world for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, our charming mountain town is currently enjoying its prominence as a world-class, four-seasons resort destination – the perfect place to live, work and play.
All of us at Chin|Fleming|Harris couldn’t agree more, which is why our development services team boasts a 40-year track record assisting developers and development projects in and around Park City. That experience is a testament to our team members’ deep and enduring investment in the community. It’s also resulted in an impressive list of development experience, which includes projects from Deer Valley Resort to the Jordanelle area and many areas in between.
Are you more of a visual learner? Get a free printed map of Deer Valley right here.
As we transition into the glorious summer season ahead – and still bask in the glow of Utah’s most epic ski season on record – we thought it would be fun to take a quick “tour” of our town through an historical lense. Join us as we visit some of Park City and Deer Valley’s most iconic neighborhoods and learn a little more their history as well as CMFH’s role in the prestigious condominium, townhome and single-family lot developments found in each.
Park City Mountain + Old Town: From mining shacks to million-dollar properties
Officially incorporated as a town in 1884, Park City first bloomed into existence in the 1860s when prospectors began setting up camps around the area, marking the first mining settlements. During the height of Park City’s mining era, the surrounding mountains yielded $400 million in silver and created 23 millionaires including George Hearst, father of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.
However, as mineral prices began to fall in the 1930s, Park City residents began mining a new treasure: snow. Skiers made their first turns down Park City’s Wasatch Mountains during the Park City Winter Carnival, which hosted ski exhibitions on a north-facing hillside of what would become Deer Valley Resort. The first carnival was held in February 1936, and carnival goers accessed the event via a “snow train,” which transported more than 500 visitors to the festival. The following winter, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) built facilities to encourage more winter recreation, including ski trails, toboggan runs, slides, slalom courses, ski jumps and warming huts.
Learn more about these great communities right here:
But it wasn’t until 1962 that Park City’s destiny as a winter resort town came into focus. With the mines mostly shuddered, members of United Park City Mines (town’s last mining company) applied for a federal economic-stimulus loan intended for depressed rural communities. Legend has it that the application languished until Jack Gallivan, then-publisher of the Salt Lake Tribune, mentioned the loan during a lunch with his friend, President John F. Kennedy. Shortly afterward, the $1.25 million was approved and the grant led to the creation of Treasure Mountain ski area, which would later become Park City Ski Area.
Today, Park City Mountain Resort is the largest resort in the United States, featuring more than 7,300 acres, 330 trails, 43 lifts and six terrain parks. The resort’s offers multiple real estate opportunities that stretch from Old Town – complete with convenient Town Lift access – to Canyons Village. CMFH has brought several luxury condominium developments to market across the entirety of the area including Old Town gems Greyhawk and Motherlode, PCMR ski-in/ski-out properties Lift Lodge and Kings Crown, and resort center locations including Vintage on the Strand at Canyons Village.
Thinking about moving to Park City? Here are 7 undeniable reasons to call Park City home.
Deer Valley Resort + Empire Pass: Elevating the skiing experience and ski-in/ski-out living
Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Deer Valley difference,” but it’s more than just a catchy phrase at this beloved skiers-only resort founded in December 1981 by ski industry visionary Edgar Stern. Stern’s family had been in the hospitality industry for decades before he made his first ski resort purchase, buying the Treasure Mountain ski area in 1971. But he sold it just four years later, turning his attention to creating his own resort on an adjacent parcel of land that he still owned.
Stern’s vision was to melt the sport of skiing with five-star service, food, amenities, and lodging, including ski valets, limited daily ticket sales, parking lot shuttles, complimentary ski check, chairlift footrests and other thoughtful touches. His concept became a reality that still thrives today, as Deer Valley was named the best U.S. ski resort in November 2022 for the 10th straight year by the World Ski Awards. Today, Deer Valley features 21 chairlifts, 103 runs, 2,026 acres of skiable terrain, and some of the best groomed runs (we call it “corduroy!”) and powder glades in the world.
Learn more about Deer Valley and Empire Pass with our community guides right here:
CMFH has been at the forefront of development in Deer Valley, stretching from the base area near Snow Park to mid-mountain at Silver Lake and up to Empire Pass. In lower Deer Valley, properties brought to market include La Maconnerie townhomes, Morning Star Estates, Pinnacle and Portico condominiums, Trail’s End Lodge. CMFH has launched all three phases of the St. Regis Deer Valley, selling over $400,000,000 Million since its opening in 2009, and is currently selling the last 12 luxury residences. Located mid-mountain near Silver Lake Village, developments include Stag Lodge, the first phase of the Goldener Hirsch Residences, the first phase of the condominium residences at Stein Eriksen Lodge, and homes and condos at Stein Eriksen Residences. At Empire Pass, offerings include homesites at Bannerwood and Red Cloud, and townhomes and single-family homes at Nakoma and The Belles at Empire Pass. Finally, development at the prestigious ski-in/ski-out gated community of Deer Crest includes 158 lots, as well as 12 townhomes in Deer Pointe Deer Valley.
Thinking about living in Deer Valley? Learn more about Deer Valley Resort right here.
Park Meadows: All the convenience of town plus golf, proximity and privacy
Centrally located in the heart of Park City and bordered by Quarry Mountain, Round Valley and three of the district’s schools (Park City High, Treasure Mountain Junior High, McPolin Elementary), the master-planned subdivision of Park Meadows surrounds the Park Meadows Country Club and the popular state-of-the-art Municipal Athletic and Recreation Center, known as the MARC. This family-focused community dates back decades but really began taking shape with the opening of the Jack Nicklaus’-designed 18-hole golf course, which opened in 1983 and has hosted 10 PGA Tour Champions events.
Park Meadows features a great mix of housing opportunities and CMHF has been at the forefront of developments including Eagle Pointe (82 lots), The Cove (111 townhomes), The Gallery at The Cove (six townhomes) and Last Sun at The Cove (46 townhomes).
Get to know Park Meadows in our community guide here.
What Park City or Deer Valley neighborhood is right for you?
Whether you’re interested in planting roots in Deer Valley or Park City, searching for a second home, or planning to sell a property, our team of local experts will make sure you know the ins and outs of every neighborhood. And while the “tour” above is fairly exhaustive, it still doesn’t cover all the developments that CMFH has brought to market, including Snyder’s Mill in the picturesque Silver Springs neighborhood and the postcard-worthy Tuhaye, which includes the 212 lots in the private golf-course community within Talisker Club located near the Jordanelle Reservoir.
Learn more about living in Park City and Deer Valley in these posts next:
- Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Vacation Home in Park City
- Benefits of Owning a Vacation Home in Park City
- Park City Home Selling Q&A
While space for new development in Park City and Deer Valley is at a premium, there are several exclusive projects in the works and CMFH is here to help you navigate all the offerings including St. Regis Deer Valley, Founders Place, and the new Mayflower Mountain Resort – Grand Hyatt at Mayflower, Velvaere, Marcella Club, and more.
Are you thinking about buying or selling real estate in Park City or Deer Valley? Get in touch by calling 435-647-8035 or email us directly at info@CFHparkcity.com today!
