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How about some of the lifts built for the Sochi Olympics? Some of them closed after the one Olympics season. Here's some photographs on Remontees-Mecaniques:
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Conrad, on 08 April 2015 - 02:20 PM, said:

Thats such a waste! lol Only a few billion throne in to the project, only to be used for a few months.. Thats sad. I wonder is they will sell the lifts to us westerners.

Moab gondola, never even opened

Oh ya! I've seen that. Its funny to drive by.
The shortest lifespan was my backyard rope tow. Season length: 22.3 minutes....

NoPainNoJane, on 13 April 2015 - 09:17 PM, said:

I saw that a few years ago, and stopped to check it out. The bottom terminal has been badly vandalized. The window to the control room was broken and electronics were either stolen, destroyed for fun, or maybe removed to be used elsewehere.

I've got a couple more to add.

Bear Mountain Triple at Killington:
First season: 79-80
Last season: 83-84
Service life: 5 seasons
Replaced with: Yan FGQ
Fate: The FGQ was actually the triple simply converted to a quad by replacing the chairs. Location where the chairs went is unknown.

Tamarack Double at Stratton:
First season: 76-77
Last season: 76-77
Service life: 1 season
Replaced with: Borvig Triple
Fate: Triple was simply the double converted by changing the chairs. Double chairs sent to Grizzly lift.
This post has been edited by snoloco: 04 May 2015 - 04:45 PM

West Mountain Quad at Bretton Woods.

Garraventa-CTEC FGQ installed in 1999-2000, final season 2001-2002.

Replaced (I would guess more likely "Upgraded") to Dopp HSQ for 2002-2003 season.

Blue Mountain Ontario had a Doppelmayr HSQ for two seasons and it was quickly replaced by a POMA High-Speed Six-Pack. I believe the lift was relocated to Owl's Head, Quebec.

The Yan jig-back tram at Circus Circus Casino in Las Vegas. Ran for less than a year before it was relocated to Water World in Colorado

How long was Jacob's Ladder in service at Mt. Hood Meadows?

does the elephant in the room need mentioning?
Rampart lift at Summit East built summer / fall 2014. damaged by falling tree Jan 8,2015. damaged enough that stuff need rebuilding before the lift could run. I would call that "shortest lifespan".

Andy1962, on 09 June 2015 - 09:50 AM, said:

Replacing one damaged tower as rebuilding? Also the lift has yet to open to public.

The second incarnation of the Eskimo lift at Winter Park

I believe it was installed in 90 after the the old Riblet Eskimo lift was intentionally destroyed, and then removed in 99 IIRC

That lift started out as the Zephyr lift. I think it ran in that alignment for seven years until 1990, when the Zephyr Express lift replaced it. It then ran as the Eskimo lift to replaced the destroyed double until 1999, when the Eskimo Express lift replaced it. Now it's Sweetwater at Jackson Hole and has Poma chairs.

The triple version of the Zephyr lift at Winter Park was installed in 1983. It received the Poma chairs in 1993 when Endeavor and the current version of Gemini were installed. I know the uprights on the towers of the current Zephyr are original, Did they change the uprights on Eskimo in 99 when the quad went in or move them over to Eskimo's current line since Apollo was removed so Eskimo could have it's top station in the same location as the former Apollo lift.

Eskimo Express's towers look to be new as the lift.

Another lift that certainly fits the bill for short lifespan was the Skyline double chair at Jay Peak Vermont. Skyline was installed in 1968 from the plateau near tower 2 of the tram to the summit of Jay Peak. Skiers could ride from the top of the Bonaventure chair and access the summit without taking the tram. Also may have been used for early season skiing.
i found pictures of it on www.chairlift.org:
http://www.chairlift...s/jay/jay42.jpg
http://www.chairlift...s/jay/jay56.jpg
http://www.chairlift...s/jay/jay57.jpg
http://www.chairlift...s/jay/jay58.jpg
http://www.chairlift...s/jay/jay59.jpg

I certainly remember seeing that chair, when I was a young child skiing Jay Peak in the 70-71 season.
Perhaps the rime ice was too much of a problem.