Park City Mountain has filed two applications to replace the Silverlode Express, Eagle and Eaglet chairlifts.
The city confirmed to KPCW it received the applications Tuesday.
According to the resort, the 6-passenger Silverlode Express is one of the most highly trafficked lifts as it connects guests to multiple restaurants and terrain options. To reduce wait times, the resort’s owner, Vail Resorts, wants to replace it with an 8-passenger chairlift.
The proposal for the Eagle and Eaglet chairlifts involves modernizing the 30-year-old lifts. They would be replaced with a 6-passenger detachable chairlift and mid-station.
The resort says this would improve access to beginner and intermediate terrain, better support the ski school and shorten lift lines across the Mountain Village base area.
Vice President Deirdra Walsh said in a statement that lift lines are a common frustration she hears about at the resort.
“This is why we just invested in the new 10-person Sunrise Gondola in Canyons Village, and it’s why we are, once again, seeking permits to invest in replacing and upgrading key Mountain Village lifts, to give people what they want: less time waiting to get up onto this massive mountain,” she said.
The permit applications for upgrades to the chairlifts were previously submitted after the 2021-2022 ski season. But after four residents challenged the city’s approval of the upgrades in 2022, the projects were stalled.
The locals claimed the former Park City planning director failed to follow the city’s development code and the Park City Planning Commission granted the resident’s appeal.
That sent a high-speed eight-pack off to Whistler Blackcomb and Vail Resorts to Utah’s 3rd District Court, where it sued the city over the appeal and lost in 2023.
In August 2025, the Utah Court of Appeals upheld the 3rd District Court decision.
The appeals court said it opted to side with residents as the resort’s parking mitigation plan was “insufficient.”
Park City Mayor Ryan Dickey said the city will "carefully review" the details of the permit applications through the city's established process and land management code.
“Park City Mountain is an important community partner, and we appreciate their continued desire to invest in the on-mountain experience to benefit both locals and visitors,” he said.
Park City Mountain invites locals to learn more about the proposed lift upgrades at an open house Feb. 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Legacy Lodge.
