Always eager to solve its customers' problems, Vail, Colo., now has the answer to that nagging question of where you should park your enormous new SUV this ski season: in a $100,000 private parking spot, naturally. One of the first projects in the resort's massive $500 million base-area redevelopment is a 114-space underground garage that's steps from the Vista Bahn lift. Though it's not scheduled to open until February, spaces sold out in six weeks, bringing in nearly $12 million. For an additional $25,000 or so, you get some storage with your parking space. "We knew there was a strong market for parking, but we were still surprised at the response," says Vail spokeswoman Kelly Ladyga. The parking spots are owned outright-like condos-so they can be bought and sold at will, though none have been flipped so far. Second-home owners purchased approximately 60 percent of the spaces. One local-the mayor-bought two.

NOVEMBER 2004