Kensington Development Partners shares phased vision for Avon’s valley floor

An artist’s rendering of the proposed Whole Foods Market in Avon.

Kensington Development Partners recently issued the following press release on its vision for Avon’s valley floor:

Many longtime Eagle River Valley residents affectionately refer to Avon’s valley floor, located north of the Eagle River in between railroad tracks and I-70 and southeast of Avon Road, as the STOLPort property, a private air strip that no longer exists. 

The Traer Creek community, known as The Village (at Avon), is an exceptionally large Planned Unit Development (PUD), approved for up to 2,400 homes and lodging units, and up to 825,000 square feet of commercial space, across 1,700 acres of land. Annexed into the Town of Avon in 1998, the land stretches from Chapel Square east and includes a future Town of Avon park property, the Piedmont, the now under construction Bosk apartments, a Town of Avon school site, Traer Creek Plaza, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, a Town of Avon public works site, and then north to Buffalo Ridge, a Fire District site, the Ambulance District emergency response center, the Marriott-branded hotels and Maverik convenience store and gas station, to additional parcels north of I-70.  

A 40-acre parcel just east of Chapel Square in the Village on the old STOLPort property, known in the PUD as Planning Area A, is entitled for mixed-use projects that include retail, hospitality, housing, parks and community infrastructure. 

Traer Creek’s Michael and Marcus Lindholm say they remain committed to evaluating quality opportunities and investing in smart growth in Avon as they carefully observe financial and equity markets and national and local economies, consider the needs of the resort community, and balance the right timeframe for construction. 

Traer Creek’s affiliate, Jasmine Development Inc., is partnering with Kensington Development Partners, the Illinois and Colorado-based company that recently confirmed a Spring 2026 construction start of a mixed-use development on about six acres of Planning Area A, including a proposed Whole Foods Market and for-sale condominiums, with retail opportunities in front of Whole Foods. This project is Phase I of community development within Planning Area A.

Kensington representatives are now beginning to share a Phase II vision for the adjacent property to the east of Phase I.

“We’re engaged in multiple conversations to move forward with a dynamic mix of outdoor spaces complementing residential and retail, with our desire to feature a mix of local business owners and national brands to create a vertically-integrated, walkable mixed-use community for Phase II and beyond,” says Kensington Development partner, Jared Eck. “Avon’s ideal location in the heart of the Vail Valley and at the base of the world-class Beaver Creek Resort is drawing tremendous interest.”

Eck also highlighted additional exciting activity taking place concurrently: the Bosk multi-family apartments have broken ground west of Traer Creek Plaza, and the Vail Valley Foundation recently announced its intention to start construction this year on an early childcare education facility nearby on a parcel Traer Creek gave to the Town of Avon for school or educational purposes open to the community. 

To date, 354,983 square feet of commercial space, 243 hotel rooms, and 484 apartments, including 244 deed-restricted, community housing apartments, have been built within the Village.

In addition, from 2003 to 2015, public infrastructure in the amount of roughly $70 million was constructed in connection with the initial phases, including a new I-70 diamond interchange exit (Exit 168- Post Blvd.), Post Boulevard, six roundabouts, a Union Pacific Railroad underpass, a bridge, a 2 million gallon water tank and other public infrastructure that not only supports the growth of the Village but also the entirety of the Town of Avon, including residents and tourists to the Vail Valley.  Since then, East Beaver Creek Boulevard has been extended to the west, and a portion of Crescent Hill Road is currently under construction to serve the Bosk Apartments.  

“Building out Phases I, II and beyond in these 40 acres on the valley floor must be done responsibly and strategically and will also be an incredible revenue source for the Downtown Development Authority that was created in 2023 to help address community housing issues and public infrastructure needs,” explains Eck. 

Traer Creek is currently working closely with Town staff on a joint application to make a few zoning amendments that further ensure the success of the Village and Avon, with accountability to Avon residents and business owners.

“We are committed to aligning with the Town and the broader community on pushing for smart growth opportunities and goals for the Village, including quality projects like the one Kensington is envisioning. Those projects should deliver enhanced public revenue, housing, public infrastructure investment, early childcare, and lodging,” says Marcus Lindholm. “We pride ourselves on taking the time to find the right development partners for the community to deliver complementary – not competitive – offerings.”

Lindholm reminded, as well, that the carnival will return to Avon July 9-13; Traer Creek provides a parcel for the activities which produces a substantial donation to Salvation Army each year.

For anyone interested in exploring commercial opportunities at the Village should reach out to Kensington via https://kensingtondev.com/contact. Traer Creek LLC is the landowner of the Village, while Jasmine Development Inc. is a development company partnering with Kensington.