Almost two years after demolition plans were announced, the southern portion of the Lodge at Tamarron is coming down to make way for Glacier Club’s new clubhouse.
Crews began tearing down the 42-year-old structure in February, and demolition will continue until the end of April. The Hamilton Chop House and banquet facilities were previously in the lodge, which has been vacant at least five years.
Because of how the lodge was built, remodeling the building wasn’t an option, said Bill Greco, director of development and construction. About 78,000 square feet are being demolished, and the crew will recycle approximately 70 percent of the steel and concrete.
The new clubhouse, called The Cliffs, will be a 16,000-square-foot, multi-purpose event space, and it will include a golf shop, bar and grill, all of which will be open to the public. The project is expected to open around June 2017.
Greco, who is overseeing the demolition, said original plans to build a hotel in the lodge’s location, as discussed in 2014, have changed so the development can serve the whole community.
“We got a little bit ahead of ourselves with our 2014 planning,” Greco said. “We regrouped and took a hard look at how best to benefit the entire community, the county and Glacier Club. The hotel component at this time doesn’t look like the best use for everyone, not to say it doesn’t become a viable option in 10 years. We’re still leaving a significant piece of vacant land.”
The Lodge at Tamarron, located on the property’s southern end and owned by Glacier Club, was constructed in 1974. Glacier Club was established in the early 2000s and bought Tamarron’s golf courses, tennis courts and other facilities. The new clubhouse will be built just north of Tamarron’s Pinecone complex.
The property’s northern portion consists of the old Sundowner inn, which was repurposed into condominiums and is owned by the Tamarron community. The Tamarron Association of Condominium Owners, through a board vote last month, has pledged funding for $1.6 million in exterior renovations to the structure this summer that will complement Glacier Club’s new clubhouse. Those funds will come from special assessments and TACO reserves, which come from regular assessments.
More than 300 condominiums exist on the property, which are used as full-time homes, vacation homes and short- and long-term rentals. Some are owner-occupied year-round, while others are managed by the Tamarron rental program or Durango Mountain Resort.
Glacier Club once discussed purchasing the Sundowner from Tamarron, but the community was not receptive to the idea.
The club is covering all costs associated with the new facility. Construction of the clubhouse will cost $5 million, and demolition will cost $1 million.
As far as some owners are concerned, destroying the lodge, referred to by some Tamarron owners as “the corpse,” is a good idea.
Joe Carey, president of the Tamarron Association of Condominium Owners, has been on the TACO board since 2003 and a Tamarron homeowner since 1991.
“We’re pleased as punch,” Carey said of the demolition. “It’s been allowed to become an eyesore, the exterior has been neglected, paint is peeling, and this is finally happening.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
