Alterra's acquisition of Arapahoe Basin ski area faces federal inquiry

Driving the news: Last month, federal investigators requested data related to visitor demographics, skier visitation and financials, the Colorado Sun reports.

• In addition, authorities asked the National Ski Areas Association for a confidential economic analysis of ski areas in the six-state Rocky Mountain Region.

What they're saying: The U.S. Attorney General's Office in Colorado would not comment on the investigation.

• An Alterra Mountain spokesperson told the Sun the inquiry was "customary" because of the size of the deal.

The big picture: Summit County's A-Basin is one of the few remaining independent ski areas in Colorado. It is currently owned by Dream Unlimited Corp, a Canadian real estate firm.

• Alterra — the company behind the Ikon Pass — owns Steamboat ski area and operates Winter Park Resort in Colorado.

Flashback: This is not the first time a deal related to A-Basin faced federal scrutiny. In 1996, the Justice Department sued to block Vail Resorts from acquiring it as part of a larger deal to buy Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas.

• The federal government said Vail's ownership would lessen competition in the Denver-area. As part of a settlement, the resort was forced to sell A-Basin.

The bottom line: Alan Henceroth, the chief operating officer at A-Basin, told the Sun the federal review "is taking time" but he expects the deal to close "very quickly" once it's done.