Telluride Awards $290,876 to 46 Businesses Hit by Resort Closure

Forty-six locally owned businesses in Telluride received a combined $290,876 in stabilization grants after the Telluride Ski Resort closure disrupted the 2025/2026 holiday season, the Town announced March 12 following the completion of the program's initial round.

The Business Stabilization Assistance Grant Program drew 48 applications from local businesses seeking help. Following an objective review process conducted in partnership with Region 10, 46 of those applicants qualified for awards. Individual grants ranged from $645 to $10,000, with amounts determined by demonstrated impact and fixed operating costs.

The awards reached across a wide cross-section of the businesses that make up Telluride's daily economic life: restaurants, bars, retail and rental shops, art galleries, a yoga studio, cleaning service providers, and transportation businesses all received funding.

Town Council approved the program in January as part of a broader economic recovery effort. The program was designed to provide targeted stabilization support for locally owned businesses facing revenue disruptions during the resort closure and the period immediately following it. Funding came from Town of Telluride Reserves originally allocated for this purpose.

With the initial round now distributed, Town Council is set to discuss the program and address remaining reserve funds at its next regular meeting on Tuesday, March 17. One source described the program as a "one-time program," while official Town materials refer to this distribution as the "initial round," a distinction that leaves open whether additional support could follow. The March 17 meeting agenda is available at bit.ly/totcouncil, and further details on the Town's economic recovery initiatives can be found at bit.ly/totbusinessrelief.