Representatives of Joe Ricketts say the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade is not giving up on plans to build a downsized resort near Bondurant, even as Sublette County moves to return the property to agricultural zoning and shut down his plans.
Spokeswoman Jessica Jaubert told Cowboy State Daily in an email Friday the team plans to “follow the next steps outlined by Sublette County.”
“We maintain that private property rights are a cornerstone of our state,” Jaubert added. “Property owners deserve clear rules, a consistent process and confidence that their rights will be upheld.”
Ricketts filed a building permit application in September for a 94,141-square-foot resort called The Confluence. The facility is roughly 60% smaller than the 230,000-square-foot Homestead Resort project, on which Ricketts pulled the plug in 2024.
Sublette County commissioners initially told Cowboy State Daily that Ricketts’ filing in September was administrative and that he did not need the commission’s approval for the new building permit, as long as he complied with the terms and conditions of the previously granted zone change and entitlements.
However, a week later, on Oct. 6, commissioners met and voted 3-2 to initiate the process of reverting the property’s zoning back to agriculture. They cited a two-year deadline to begin substantial construction work on the property.
Ricketts had begun some construction on the Homestead Resort in 2024 before canceling it, saying seasonal construction restrictions would add too much time and cost to the project.
He said then he would reclaim the property, returning it to its previous condition.
Reversion Hasn’t Happened Yet
The reversion is not yet complete, Sublette County Planner Hayley Ruland told Cowboy State Daily.
A public notice published Thursday outlines a Nov. 19 hearing before the Sublette County Planning and Zoning Commission to consider a recommendation to terminate the resort’s zoning designation, granted to Jackson Fork Ranch in 2021. The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Sublette County Courthouse in Pinedale.
Ricketts’ team will have a chance to present information as to whether any substantial construction activity has taken place.
After that hearing, the Planning and Zoning Commission are to send a recommendation to Sublette County commissioners, who would make the final decision on whether the zoning should revert to agricultural.
If commissioners return the property to agricultural zoning, Ricketts would need to seek a new zoning change and a new building permit to pursue a resort at the location.
What Is The Confluence?
Ricketts’ team has pitched the project as a family-friendly lodge rooted in western hospitality. Jaubert told Cowboy State Daily in September the resort aims to “showcase Sublette County’s incredible recreational opportunities and natural resources, while bringing good jobs and economic development to the community.”
According to the building-permit application, the resort would have three levels of heated space totaling 47,302 square feet, including guest accommodations, dining, spa/wellness and support areas. An underground parking garage would add another 46,839 square feet.
“The project is expected to support over 50 long-term jobs and hundreds of construction jobs, with a commitment to working with local contractors and subcontractors when possible,” Jaubert said.
Tourism To Support Ecology
Ricketts has framed resort development as a way to build support for conservation. Press materials for the earlier Homestead Resort described a “mission-driven focus on protecting, preserving, and enjoying the natural beauty of the Hoback region.”
Those materials also said the resort would give visitors a closer connection to the landscape and, in turn, build support for protecting it.
He has also championed conservation through Saving Yellowstone, which had an August symposium at Jackson Fork Ranch.
Ricketts told an audience of conservationists and wildlife experts that the 22-million-acre ecosystem that spans Wyoming, Montana and Idaho is facing growing pressure from climate change and human activity.
The region is in better shape than 50 years ago, Ricketts added, but “if we don’t move now, it will be lost forever.”
Neighbors Still Oppose Project
Neighbors of the project have told Cowboy State Daily they feel much differently about having a resort move into the neighborhood. They believe such a development threatens the character and culture of the Hoback Valley, and they don’t like that it would be in a wildlife migration corridor.
“The best part about this place is the wildlife,” resident Pat Burroughs told Cowboy State Daily in 2024. “It’s so fun to watch 20 mule deer grazing in my yard. And all this development is going to push it out, closing migration areas.”
Burroughs said she still feels the same about a resort in that location, regardless of its size.
“He’s putting a resort in the middle of the migration pathway again,” she said.
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
