Mogul Capital's Big Bet on Downtown Jackson, WY

After months of heated public debate and multiple rounds of revisions, the Jackson Town Council has approved a massive hotel and mixed-use development by Mogul Capital on North Cache Street. The project, one of the largest private commercial proposals in Jackson’s history, has been reshaped to reduce its footprint, but not its public impact.

Here’s what you need to know:

The Basics

Size: 244,600 square feet (down from 366,000).
Design: Five separate three-story buildings rather than one large block.
Rooms: 109 hotel rooms.
Housing: 17 long-term market-rate units, 22 deed-restricted workforce units (off-site), and 17 off-site affordable units.
Amenities: Restaurant, spa, rooftop decks, fitness center, retail space, and a pedestrian-friendly paseo.

The project sits on a 2.75-acre lot and is now heading toward the Development Plan stage, where even more detail will be hammered out.

The Benzene Problem Beneath It

The site is home to a long-documented benzene plume, a leftover from an old Texaco gas station first flagged in 1989.

Instead of excavating the contaminated soil, Mogul is working with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to:

Cap the site with clean fill.
Build a “bathtub-style” cutoff wall around the underground garage.
Dewater and treat groundwater pumped from the site (potentially up to 3,800 gallons per minute).
Implement a long-term monitoring plan to protect nearby Flat Creek and the local aquifer.

The developers argue this could speed up cleanup efforts. Critics worry the disturbance could make things worse if improperly managed. DEQ approval and third-party oversight are required before construction moves forward.

The Look & Layout

Town leaders and design reviewers pushed Mogul to rethink the original bulky block layout. The result?

Five distinct buildings, no taller than three stories.
A more “mountain lodge” style, aimed at better blending into the Jackson streetscape.
Public alleyway enhancements, including a small roundabout to ease traffic.
Rooftop decks and retail frontages to maintain walkability and flow.
Streetscape and landscaping improvements that emphasize pedestrian access.

Despite these changes, some locals still feel the development is “too big for Jackson” and out of sync with the town’s scale.

Housing: A Trade-Off

Originally, the plan called for 27,000 square feet of workforce housing on-site.

Mogul successfully petitioned to move that requirement off-site to its South Park Loop Road property (“The Loop”) in exchange for building even more housing:

~40,000 square feet of deed-restricted workforce housing.
17 income-restricted affordable housing units.

While the math looks good on paper, there’s concern from the community about the potential displacement of current Loop residents, who might not qualify under the new deed restrictions. Mogul has promised at least six months’ notice to current tenants.

*Note: I will be touring “The Loop” project soon. I look forward to confirming price points and affordable housing unit numbers with a follow-up article.

All off-site units will be subject to:

Rent caps
Long-term occupancy restrictions
Jackson’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs) for workforce bonus eligibility

Community Concerns Still Linger

Critics have pointed to several outstanding concerns:

Size and Gentrification: Even in its reduced form, many see the project as a catalyst for “super-gentrification” that drives out working-class locals.
Privatization of Public Space: The pedestrian alleyway will mostly serve hotel guests, raising eyebrows about public benefit.
Environmental Uncertainty: Some fear the benzene mitigation plan doesn’t go far enough and that a mistake could jeopardize Jackson’s water quality.
Aesthetic Integrity: Former mayors and council members have stated that the hotel “far exceeds anything the town imagined” for downtown.

Why Some Say It’s Still a Win

Proponents say the revised hotel represents a balance between growth and preservation, citing:

Major downsizing of the original plan
A boost in affordable and workforce housing units
Enhanced architectural design and walkable, active streetscapes
Potential economic benefits from lodging taxes and tourism
Environmental cleanup that might not otherwise be funded or prioritized

What’s Next?

Mogul now must submit a full Development Plan, which includes:

Finalized architectural renderings
Landscape and stormwater designs
Housing floor plans and compliance documents
Public access agreements
Environmental mitigation enforcement

Expect more public discussion and likely increased tension as the process unfolds.

Whether this development becomes a landmark destination or a lightning rod for overdevelopment will depend entirely on execution and oversight. Jackson residents, planners, and Mogul Capital now face the task of proving whether this project can deliver on its promises without compromising the soul of the town.