Originally Published by Vail Daily
Partners in the new Prima Residences at The Sonnenalp dig in last week to break ground on the project that will replace the old FirstBank Building in Vail.
David O. Williams/Vail Daily
East West Partners last week broke ground on the new Prima Residences at The Sonnenalp, four “ultra-luxury” residences that will replace the old FirstBank building on Vail Road that operated there since 1972.
A partnership between East West Partners, the Sonnenalp Hotel across the street and PNC Bank, which acquired FirstBank of Colorado last year, the new and greatly expanded structure will still house a PNC branch but will also include the four new homes linked to the iconic hotel next door.
“This is an exciting moment for East West Partners, the Sonnenalp Hotel and PNC Bank to embark together on creating something new that both honors the legacy of Vail and adds lasting value to the community,” said Jim Telling, managing partner at East West Partners overseeing the Vail Valley.
Jim Telling of East West Partners addresses the crowd during last week’s groundbreaking for the new Prima Residences at The Sonnenalp in Vail.
David O. Williams/Vail Daily
The partnership between FirstBank (now PNC) and East West was first announced in June 2025, followed by the partnership with the Sonnenalp Hotel in December of last year.
“We could not be more excited to celebrate the groundbreaking for Prima Residences at the Sonnenalp,” said Johannes Faessler, owner of Sonnenalp Hotel. “Having a partnership with three local icons with such long and storied histories in the area is so unique and truly embodies the values that make Vail Vail.”
Officials from the three partners were on hand last week for a brief groundbreaking celebration, along with other key players from 4240 Architecture and Andrea Georgopolis with ACG Interiors.
Prima Residences at the Sonnenalp will “blend contemporary sophistication with the timeless elegance of Vail’s Bavarian roots,” according to East West officials. One of the residences at Prima has already been sold, and the three remaining two-story residences offer four or five bedrooms at approximately 4,800 square feet.
The residences will come with “spacious floorplans, stunning finishing, large outdoor terraces, private underground parking garages, and a walkable central Vail Village location — all paired with the Sonnenalp Hotel signature services and amenities,” according to a news release.
Those will include: “Heated outdoor pool and whirlpools, overlooking Gore Creek; house account privileges for seamless on-property purchases and dining; spa and spa gym access; concierge services; in-residence room service; access to the Sonnenalp Golf Club in Singletree/Edwards; Sonnenalp-provided HOA management, residence home care and the option for rental management; and ski valet services and private lockers at the Gorsuch Ski Café for overflow family and guests.”
Following demolition of the existing building along with sitework and foundations, vertical construction is planned to begin in the spring of 2027, with anticipated completion in the fall of 2028. Saunders Construction is serving as general contractor for the project.
The East West Partners project manager for Prima Residences at The Sonnenalp is Katie Spoonhour.
“I’ve had the privilege of coming to Vail since the early ’80s, and what I find interesting is that this corner has stayed much the same since then,” Spoonhour said at the groundbreaking. “And what makes me incredibly excited is to know that we all have some little part in making this corner something else and something for posterity. It’s been about relationships.
“The relationship with Sonnenalp, Sebastian’s here today, but the relationship with the Faesslers that’s been since the’ 70s,” Spoonhour added. “The relationship with FirstBank, now PNC. East West has had that partnership for 40 years. The town of Vail relationships, everybody from the neighbors and the chapel. I really want to just say ‘thank you,’ and we should all have a sense of pride in building something that hopefully can withstand the next 40 years.”
Vail Town Manager Russ Forrest echoed those sentiments.
“At the town of Vail, we appreciate a lot of hard work goes into getting to this point in time. Relationships with neighbors, working with contractors. So thank you for all the hard work,” Forrest said. “Also, just want to acknowledge, and we haven’t written a lot about this date, but this is one of the first projects too that’s going to really be the next billion-dollar renaissance in Vail, and this is going to be one of the sparks and certainly in a key location in the town of Vail, so we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership.”