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Catamount Condos and hotel

ScottySkis

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http://www.berkshiremtnclub.com/

I like the hill and wish them luck but do they really believe this will work. This could put them in NELSPA and i dont want that.

A NEW CATAMOUNT RESORT

Luxury Whole & Fractional Ownership Available

The Berkshire Mountain Club, located on the slopes of Catamount Resort in Columbia County, bordering the Berkshires, will provide a unique opportunity for you to own luxury whole or fractional residences with the amenities, services and benefits of a 4 star hotel. Combine full property management and travel opportunities around the world and your future vacations will never be the same again. Fractional prices start approximately in the mid $50,000s.

The Berkshire Mountain Club is located in direct proximity of multiple ski lifts and is the beginning of a whole new base area development plan for Catamount Ski Resort.
 

bzrperfspec77

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http://www.berkshiremtnclub.com/

I like the hill and wish them luck but do they really believe this will work. This could put them in NELSPA and i dont want that.

A NEW CATAMOUNT RESORT

Luxury Whole & Fractional Ownership Available

The Berkshire Mountain Club, located on the slopes of Catamount Resort in Columbia County, bordering the Berkshires, will provide a unique opportunity for you to own luxury whole or fractional residences with the amenities, services and benefits of a 4 star hotel. Combine full property management and travel opportunities around the world and your future vacations will never be the same again. Fractional prices start approximately in the mid $50,000s.

The Berkshire Mountain Club is located in direct proximity of multiple ski lifts and is the beginning of a whole new base area development plan for Catamount Ski Resort.


When you say "They", who do you mean? The group doing this is not just "Catamount". I'm sure they are offering up the land/space but its not just them fronting the bill to get this off the ground.

If it fails (which I don't see it failing), the ski area will still be there.
 

ss20

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When you say "They", who do you mean? The group doing this is not just "Catamount". I'm sure they are offering up the land/space but its not just them fronting the bill to get this off the ground.

If it fails (which I don't see it failing), the ski area will still be there.

"They" are Catamount. Here is their message on Catamount's FB:
Berkshire Mountain Club: The location of the Berkshire Mountain Club will be adjacent to the Glade Chair Lift. Once our office is completed we will be unveiling a 10 year master plan for Catamount. The new improvements and renovations will balance nicely with the addition of the Berkshire Mountain Club. If you are in the area we welcome you to stop by our office inside the Main Base Lodge to answer any questions you may have.

The Mountain Club doesn't own Catamount, but they're a big part of it. Here's the list of developers, taken from the club's website.
http://www.berkshiremtnclub.com/developers.html
See the last 2 names?

Seems that the Club will take control and destroy Catamount (add more snowmaking and groom everything). I don't think this will happen overnight. Give it ten years and I'm sure Catamount will be a smaller Jiminy Peak. The Mountain Club will kick out current management so they can run the show completely.

I'm ordering a brochure so I can get more details. Will report back once I receive it.
 

4aprice

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A new trend? Camelback is in the process of building their new hotel. 450 rooms and indoor waterpark, all slopeside. Don't think it will spell doom for Catamount.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ
 

ScottySkis

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A new trend? Camelback is in the process of building their new hotel. 450 rooms and indoor waterpark, all slopeside. Don't think it will spell doom for Catamount.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

But maybe 10% of amount of people that go to go Cambleback on weekend that go to Catamont crowds wise. . I like it the way it is a local hill.
 

abc

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With the memory still fresh of the real estate bubble, and many mountain getting burned in their real estate centric operation model, why so many local hills jump right back onto the real estate band wagon is totally beyond me. Who do they think will be their potential condo buyers? Or, who are they kidding but themselves?

Hills in marginal snow zone can't hope to attract buyers of their condo no matter how much granite counter top they put in...
 

bzrperfspec77

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I could be wrong, but I would assume a ski area and the GROUP that is doing this project has put some thought into it.

This area is really close to the Berkshires where people love to retreat to. Instead of the New Yorkers/PA/NJ people (Please don't offense to that, I know how people take offense to many things on here...) buying a house or a condo outside of the ski area, now they can purchase it right next to it. Plus they don't have to come up just for the skiing. Plenty to do in the Spring/Summer/Fall. Not just skiining
 

Abominable

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The mountain is leasing the land to the developers to develop the time share, so I imagine that will be operated somewhat independently of the mountain itself, and the mountain won't sink if the project does. The developers will also build the mountain a new lodge as part of the deal.

The state has also pledged a considerable sum to the project: http://www.columbiapaper.com/index.php/the-news/3888-by-diane-valden

From a bit of google, I think this has been off again / on again for the past decade. Now there's no turning back. I'm sure they expect 90% occupancy / sales, but for me, the only reason I ski Catamount is precisely because I can get there and back in a day from NYC. If I'm staying overnight, I'm heading north (or Catskills). But it's a pretty reasonable family trip for NYC / Westchester people, and the mountain does seem under utilized to me. I've only been twice, but New Year's Day and MLK Saturday were both very uncrowded. There also seems to be quite a bit of unused terrain in between the two "peaks;" I wonder if they've ever considered cutting another trail or two in the middle. It's steep but very tight in there (looking from the chair), but I bet there's a couple of good lines in there when there is snow.
 

steamboat1

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From a bit of google, for me, the only reason I ski Catamount is precisely because I can get there and back in a day from NYC. If I'm staying overnight, I'm heading north (or Catskills). But it's a pretty reasonable family trip for NYC / Westchester people, and the mountain does seem under utilized to me. I've only been twice, but New Year's Day and MLK Saturday were both very uncrowded.
Not much difference in drive time between Catamount & the Catskills from NYC. At least not from where I am in Brooklyn. Both are roughly 3 hours. Skied there for the first time in over 40 years this past Sun. They had a good crowd.
 

Abominable

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Not much difference in drive time between Catamount & the Catskills from NYC. At least not from where I am in Brooklyn. Both are roughly 3 hours. Skied ther for the first time in over 40 years this past Sun. They had a good crowd.

I haven't done a day trip to the Cats in awhile, but I can get to Catamount in less than two hours (say, 1:50) from Atlantic Ave. and it's a much straighter shot not having to go across the city or cross the Hudson anywhere. If I leave my house at six, I am parked, booted and online for 8:30 chair. I feel the the Cats always take 2:30 plus, and it's much easier to run into traffic and other problems, especially coming home.

It's also toll-free*, not that that matters a whole lot.

*unless you fly by NYSP on the Taconic doing 80 mph. Then you pay a significant toll.

But I agree that if you're willing to drive the extra miles, Hunter probably offers much more for not too much of an extra haul.
 

steamboat1

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You can get to either the Catskills or Catamount using the Taconic. The exit for the Rhinecliff bridge is quite a bit south of the exit for Catamount which would take you over to Belleayre. Even the Rip Van Winkle bridge, which would take you over to Windham, is south of the exit for Catamount. The best time I can make to the Claverack/Hillsdale exit, which is the exit for Catamount is 2 1/2 hours with no traffic. To get to Catamount is another 15 minutes from the exit. If I go up the NYS Thruway the Catskills are even less driving time than going up the Taconic. I rarely ski the Catskills or Catamount so it doesn't make much difference to me. I often stop at the Chief Martindale diner for cod fish which is right off the Claverack/Hillsdale exit so that's why I'm so familiar with the drive time. The cod fish this weekend was exceptional. That's about the halfway point for me going to central VT. I'm located right off Jamaica Bay so to get to Atlantic Ave. & the BQE is a 1/2 hour alone
 

ss20

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I could be wrong, but I would assume a ski area and the GROUP that is doing this project has put some thought into it.

This area is really close to the Berkshires where people love to retreat to. Instead of the New Yorkers/PA/NJ people (Please don't offense to that, I know how people take offense to many things on here...) buying a house or a condo outside of the ski area, now they can purchase it right next to it. Plus they don't have to come up just for the skiing. Plenty to do in the Spring/Summer/Fall. Not just skiining

There are many smaller NELSAP ski areas that have gone out of business because of developing real estate. Ascutney and Tenney are prime examples, and they're 2x larger than Catamount. It doesn't matter how much thought you put into it. Look at all the bonehead ASC and Powdr moves. I'm sure a lot of thought went into those, but they still didn't work out.

If I were to spend 50,000$ on a timeshare at a ski mountain, I wouldn't want to ski at a 1,000 footer that has no summer activities. There would need to be another big draw for me to shell out the 50,000$. Yes, the Berkshires has other stuff to do in the warmer months, but it's all daytrip stuff.
 

mister moose

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There are many smaller NELSAP ski areas that have gone out of business because of developing real estate. Ascutney and Tenney are prime examples, and they're 2x larger than Catamount. It doesn't matter how much thought you put into it. Look at all the bonehead ASC and Powdr moves. I'm sure a lot of thought went into those, but they still didn't work out.

If I were to spend 50,000$ on a timeshare at a ski mountain, I wouldn't want to ski at a 1,000 footer that has no summer activities. There would need to be another big draw for me to shell out the 50,000$. Yes, the Berkshires has other stuff to do in the warmer months, but it's all daytrip stuff.

Don't underestimate the summer draw of Stockbridge, Lee, Lenox, and Tanglewood. Also, it isn't real estate development that did some mountains in, it was building the wrong real estate. Selling real estate is a huge source of income for a ski resort if it is done correctly. Not that I'm saying it's easy.
 

ScottySkis

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Don't underestimate the summer draw of Stockbridge, Lee, Lenox, and Tanglewood. Also, it isn't real estate development that did some mountains in, it was building the wrong real estate. Selling real estate is a huge source of income for a ski resort if it is done correctly. Not that I'm saying it's easy.

I get that at hills that are have crowds coming. This place as is doesn't have crowds. Will it work I hope so but don't see trails and terrain here attracting people that want this stuff.
 

abc

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I could be wrong, but I would assume a ski area and the GROUP that is doing this project has put some thought into it.
I don't doubt there's been SOME thoughts, though I suspect containing a large dose of wishful thinking.;)

Let's see what's the potential draw, and drawback:

- The skiing: ok, it's a 1000' hill, half of southern Vermont such as Mount Snow, about the same as Jiminy. Not bad, really, on that stat. But what about snow falls? And length of season? Snow-making? We all know it's not that great. So what's the hidden agenda? More snow making? That'll cost money. So how are they going to do it? Support by the real estate sale? Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

- The non-skiing stuff: Great Barrington is right there, and hopping! But if that appeals to you, do you rather get a condo on the hill outside the center of happening and drive into the village? Or do you rather get a place so you can walk to the village for Sunday brunch but drive 10 minutes to ski? Don't forget, if you stay in the condo on the hill, 80% of the condos will be empty in the summer and you'll be the few rare souls in the whole complex! Is that an appealing environment to spend your summer weekends? Also, your neighbors will be mostly New Yorkers you want to get away from. Or do you rather find a place near the village so you have real neighbors who are more likely locals and get you involve in the local scene?

- Day trip distance from New York: Is that a blessing, or a curse? I, like a few others mentioned earlier, think it's a negative.
 

SKI-3PO

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Looks like Kaatskill Mtn Club at Hunter or any other generic ski area timeshare hotel.
 
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