Moving Bear Valley Forward: A Member-Owned Vision for the Future
By Peter Duncan, BVMC President, August 2026
The Bear Valley Mountain Cooperative (BVMC) is preparing to undertake what could become the largest development project in Alpine County in more than a decade—a new retail center with workforce housing at the entrance to Bear Valley. More importantly, it demonstrates how a community-owned cooperative can accomplish what traditional business models often cannot.
At the BVMC Annual Members Meeting on Saturday, July 25, approximately 50 members—35 attending in person at the Cathedral Lounge and 15 via Zoom—heard an update from the Building Committee outlining an ambitious vision for a new retail center at the entrance to Bear Valley.
The proposed project is much more than a new building. It is a long-term investment designed to improve services, strengthen the local economy, and enhance the experience for homeowners, visitors, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Plans call for an approximately 11,000-square-foot mixed-use building featuring expanded retail space, a commercial kitchen, outdoor dining with meadow views, public restrooms, visitor information, EV charging, and workforce housing on the second floor. Additional employee housing addresses one of the greatest challenges facing mountain communities while creating a welcoming gateway to Bear Valley.
Since purchasing the Bear Valley Adventure Company over 8 years ago, the Cooperative has proven that community ownership works. Revenues have doubled, members receive rebates from their purchases, and profits have been reinvested into improving facilities and visitor experiences rather than being distributed to outside investors. That same philosophy now forms the foundation for this next ambitious step.
During the presentation, BVMC President Peter Duncan noted that Bear Valley still lacks many of the basic amenities expected of a year-round mountain destination, including expanded retail, additional food and beverage options, and workforce housing. The proposed development is designed to fill those gaps while creating a facility delivering better experiences for everyone in town.
Equally unique is the project's financing strategy. Rather than relying on outside developers, BVMC plans to combine federal, state, and county assistance with retained earnings, new memberships, member donations, and member investment through tax-advantaged Qualified Rural Opportunity Zone financing. This approach keeps ownership and decision-making in the hands of the community while allowing members to invest directly in Bear Valley's future.
The project is moving beyond the conceptual stage. Preliminary building designs and financing strategies have been developed, and the Cooperative is focusing on securing grants and public funding to help offset the unusually high costs of building above 7,000 feet. This support is critical to ensuring the project can move forward without placing an unreasonable debt burden on the Bear Valley Adventure Company. Once funding partnerships have been established, members will be asked to vote before the Cooperative commits significant funds for final engineering, environmental studies, permitting, and construction planning. Until then, the Board and a growing team of volunteers continue to devote countless hours to moving the project forward. If successful, the new facility will open for the 2029-30 winter season.
The Cooperative is inviting members with experience in grant writing, commercial development, fundraising, construction, retail, food service, and related fields to join the Building Committee. Interested members are encouraged to contact a Board member or speak with Aaron Johnson at the Adventure Company.
As the meeting concluded, one message stood out: together, a member-owned cooperative can accomplish what no individual or outside developer could achieve. By investing in modern infrastructure, improved services, workforce housing, and an enhanced visitor experience, the Bear Valley Mountain Cooperative is helping revive the Bear Valley experience for everyone to enjoy.
