Lenzerheide Bergbahnen Revises Staff Accommodation Strategy
Following the purchase of the former Hotel Bestzeit in Parpan, Lenzerheide Bergbahnen AG is sharpening its strategy for staff accommodation, as this opens up new opportunities.
Following the possible short-term acquisition of the Hotel Bestzeit property in Parpan, the Board of Directors of Lenzerheide Bergbahnen AG (LBB) has reviewed and refined its strategy and priorities for acquiring additional staff accommodations. Bestzeit does not yet meet LBB's housing needs, and investing in additional staff accommodation remains a priority. At the same time, this purchase is an important first step, but it will also have implications for future projects.
Further development of the Bestzeit property
LBB has acquired a total of 32 apartments in the former Hotel Bestzeit. The building offers even more, currently unused space. It should be possible to create additional staff apartments in the building with relatively little effort and at a reasonable cost. The Board of Directors has therefore commissioned a potential study to identify further expansion possibilities.
Extension of the Rothorn Canols valley station
In 2024, the residents of Vaz/Obervaz approved the rezoning for the addition of 25 residential units to the Rothorn valley station in Lenzerheide, and the Board of Directors expresses its sincere gratitude. However, the framework conditions have now changed significantly. At the time of the vote, the possibility of acquiring the Bestzeit property was not yet foreseeable, and the costs of implementing the addition, including structural upgrades to the existing building, have proven very high as planning progressed; the extent of these costs was also unknown at the time of the vote. Now, more finished living space with additional expansion potential can be purchased at significantly lower costs.
The Board of Directors has therefore decided to postpone the extension project in favor of further expanding the Bestzeit ski area and the Canols parking lot project. The rezoning is therefore not unnecessary and still offers the possibility of later or alternative implementation on this site. Furthermore, the resulting savings, amounting to a high single-digit million amount, can be prioritized for other projects, such as expanding snowmaking and renewing the Valbella ski lift, using the Sanaspans spring water source with snowmaking on the Curtschin slope, and improving snowmaking on the Heimberg-Motta-Urdenfürggli ski area.
Parking garage and staff rooms at the Rothorn Canols car park
An investor has been planning a major project at the Canols parking lot in Lenzerheide for several years. The project is gradually taking shape. In addition to various secondary uses, it includes over 600 parking spaces, a multiple of the current capacity, and over 170 residential units for staff. It offers enormous potential for housing, which would meet the needs not only of LBB but also of other service providers. Furthermore, these apartments could be marketed for tourism in the summer.
The Board of Directors is giving this project top priority, along with the "best time" project. Since construction is planned on land owned by the Vaz/Obervaz community under LBB's subconstruction rights, a preliminary agreement is currently being drawn up with all parties. This agreement provides security for the investor and guarantees LBB the security, use, and operation of the relevant components of the cable car: apartments, parking spaces, and event areas.
Felix Frei, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LBB: "The Board of Directors has taken its corporate responsibility seriously and, after careful consideration of the various interests involved, has re-prioritized the projects based on the new framework. The Bestzeit project represents a favorable opportunity to implement an important step for staff accommodation immediately, without further planning and cost risks. The additionally planned Rothorn Canols parking lot project would be a quantum leap. A breakthrough for the complex needs and further tourism development of LBB and the destination. It is therefore crucial to establish fair and long-term conditions and guarantees for all parties and to push forward its implementation with all our might."
