Dwayne Romero is out as the president of Related Colorado as of April 1, the company developing the Snowmass Base Village project announced today.
Related’s statement did not give a specific reason why the seven-year president and Aspen City Council member is leaving the firm, which is seeking approvals to restart the project that has been stalled since the recession hit. A statement from the company said he intends to “pursue other professional and personal aspirations.”
“Dwayne Romero has been a key part of the team for seven years. We are grateful for his important contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” Jeff Blau, the CEO of the multi-national real estate development firm Related Companies, said in a press release.
Romero will be replaced by Jim D’Agostino, who from 2007 to 2012 was the senior vice president of construction for Related Colorado and worked on the Viceroy phase one, other Base Village condos, the Clubhouse Commons II and other projects. Most recently he was executive vice president and COO of Suffolk Construction in Los Angeles.
“Jim D’Agostino is a talented and experienced executive and we are pleased to have him re-join the firm,” Blau said in the press release. “His vast expertise and track record of accomplishments illustrates our deep commitment to ensure continued progress in Snowmass.”
Romero, a development project manager who worked on Aspen Highlands Village and Obermeyer Place, was elected to Aspen City Council in 2007, serving until February 2011, when he was appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper to lead the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
He stepped down from that role six months later, citing a grueling travel schedule, and returned to working full time with Related.
Construction stalled on the 1 million-square-foot Base Village in 2009, as the project was beset by financing issues between Related and the consortium of European banks that were backing the deal.
In 2012, Related and the banks reached an agreement that allowed the company to retake control of the project.
The company last fall submitted an application for changes to the project’s initial 2004 approvals. That application is in the early stages of what could be a potentially lengthy land use review.
In 2013, Romero ran again for one of two open seats on Aspen City Council, but came in in third place. However, he was appointed in June to fill the vacancy left when then-councilman Steve Skadron took over as mayor.
With his council appointment coming to an end this June, Romero had mulled running again in the May 5 election. But he decided against another campaign in the final days before the ballot deadline, saying that “my central focus continues to be on my family and my work in Snowmass.”
Read full article here: http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/166033
Leave a Reply