A BILLIONAIRE’S staggering plan to build a massive resort in a gorgeous mountain valley has left the rural community divided.

After already sparking fury for trying to rename a Wyoming city, Chicago Cubs owner Joe Ricketts has attracted fresh hate with his new ambitious proposal.

Ricketts, the 83-year-old founder of the stockbroker company Ameritrade, purchased 33 acres of land at the idyllic Granite Creek in Wyoming, about an hour’s drive from Jackson.

On January 15, it was revealed that the businessman is planning to revamp the Safari Club, the existing ranch on the property, into a luxury resort called The Hawken.

In a statement, his public relations team said the resort would “showcase the unparalleled beauty and wonder of the Yellowstone Ecosystem.”

“We aspire for this resort to be a place where conservation and education spark curiosity and inspiration, motivating visitors to cherish and safeguard nature,” the team told Jackson Hole News & Guide.

However, locals weren’t convinced by the flowery explanations, as they feared the ritzy property would overtake the area’s natural ecosystem.

Mark Newcome, an environmental consultant who chairs the Teton County Board of Commissioners, admitted the resort plan was fine, but said the billionaire needs to be held on a tighter leash.

“At a high level, I’m opposed to the expansion of that particular resort,” he said.

The Wall Street winner will tack on 22,000 square feet of new developments, including cabins, lodges, a nature center, and a spa.

He plans to demolish the existing lodge and build a new prestige building, complete with a gourmet restaurant, “stylish bar,” and cozy space for guests to mingle.

The planned facility is so massive that Ricketts must obtain a special use permit approved by the Teton County Planning and Building Department.

However, since the property has already been developed, he doesn’t have to get permission from angered citizens and concerned local politicians.

Commissioner Luther Propst fears the new resort will have a massive effect on Granite Creek, as Wyoming’s revenue relies on land conservation.

“It’s based on protecting our water quality, our fisheries, our wildlife and a new use of a property that is so isolated certainly warrants public scrutiny,” Propst said.

The local politician also fears the resort could increase the risk of wildfires, which would put the people and the land in new danger.

“With that in mind, I hope that we will err toward a public airing of these issues,” Propst said.

Ricketts has stressed that his proposed resort would actually help protect wildlife in the area and teach guests the importance of environmental conservation.

“The mountain man ethos – characterized by resilience, precision and deep connection to the land – will influence everything from design elements to guest experiences,” Jessica Jaubert, Ricketts’ spokesperson, wrote in a press release.

Ricketts’ new resort plan comes after he made enemies for trying to rename nearby Bondurant, Wyoming, to “Little Jackson Hole.”

That proposal was made along with other plans to build a high-end resort on his 1,300-acre Jackson Fork Ranch property in the area.

Ricketts first made the pitch to a crew of movers and shakers at a dinner, and nearly three-quarters of the guests immediately stormed out in a huff.

Furious neighbors have since stood against his plans as they blast him as “tone deaf.”

“I hate to see the change that this is going to bring to the private people who live in this valley,” local Richard Pearson told Cowboy State Daily in June.

“You know, it’s going to be a completely different world in a few years once this, once everything gets going.”