Major West Mtn Plans: High Speed Lift, Real Estate, More

[ne_skier]

Pretty major plans released by West Mountain recently, including a new high speed summit lift from the Northwest base, a plaza and retail village, multiple condos and land plots for sale. A 60-80 unit hotel is also planned.

https://www.facebook.com/westmtnskiarea/posts/4288726904537695

 

[ss20]

Yeah....not happening. Local's mountain with Gore under one hour away and VT mega-resorts 1.5-1.75 hours away. What's the draw to this 200 acre (if that) ski area that doesn't crack 1,000 vertical? I literally have no idea who they're trying to attract here. Obviously people who don't want to drive all the way to VT or Gore/Whiteface and want a second home. If it's the Albany market Windham and Jiminy Peak have plenty of second homes and are closer and bigger than West.

This is arguably more batshit crazy than the Catamount timeshare hotel/expansion they were pitching a decade ago (and failed). At least with that Catamount had the advantage of being a direct, straight shot from Westchester County and would be the closest "resort" with on-hill unit ownership.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

west aint nothin but a place for high school racing and night skiing for the capitol district set. ain't no one spending a night at west.

 

[Zand]

This would be like Wachusett putting in a hotel and condos.

 

[ss20]

This would be like Wachusett putting in a hotel and condos.

If it were Wachusett it would at least make 10 brain cells of sense. There aren't multiple destination mountains literally 3x-5x larger than Wachusett within an hour and a half like with West.

 

[ThatGuy]

I live 30 mins from West Mtn and I’ve never even bothered going.

 

[cdskier]

The contrast between the comments here and the ones on their FB page are quite drastic. Unless West is deleting comments, the overwhelming majority of the comments are exceedingly positive and enthusiastic about this including people already saying they are interested in buying the condos...

 

[abc]

If it were Wachusett it would at least make 10 brain cells of sense. There aren't multiple destination mountains literally 3x-5x larger than Wachusett within an hour and a half like with West.

I remember seeing condos on slope side of Mountain Creek!

Only 1 hr from NYC, I always wonder who would bother staying overnight there. But clearly, those condos were occupied...

 

[Newpylong]

I can't speak to West as a destination resort but there is no better example of a mountain that has been well (re)capitalized and has turned itself around. I went to college near Albany and at the time we stopped going there because it was such a dump. It is a much different place today, but still a community mountain. Can't see it as a destination much.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I remember seeing condos on slope side of Mountain Creek!

Only 1 hr from NYC, I always wonder who would bother staying overnight there. But clearly, those condos were occupied...

Oh man. I worked with a guy years ago who has a mountain creek condo, still friendly and in the same circles. Invites every year, never have been. He’s a decent skier and gets into some fun stuff when he goes out west but he also posts go pro videos from mountain creek. Smdh.

 

[cdskier]

I remember seeing condos on slope side of Mountain Creek!

Only 1 hr from NYC, I always wonder who would bother staying overnight there. But clearly, those condos were occupied...

Yea...Mt Creek has quite a few slope-side condos. I never understood it either, but that was exactly one example that was going through my mind when thinking of why West could be successful in their plan. This majority of the people on this forum are certainly not their target audience, but people that would be very interested absolutely exist.

 

[jaytrem]

I'm glad to see they're doing so well. Our high school ski club used to stop there on the way to Sugarbush for some extra turns. I think we would get a 2 hour ticket or something like that. I think this could work out for them. The mountain isn't all that much different than Jiminy, and things seem to be going quite well there. Not to mention the proximity to Lake George, big draw in the off season. Just hope the don't over extend themselves.

 

[deadheadskier]

Oh man. I worked with a guy years ago who has a mountain creek condo, still friendly and in the same circles. Invites every year, never have been. He’s a decent skier and gets into some fun stuff when he goes out west but he also posts go pro videos from mountain creek. Smdh.

My boss lives in a slopeside condo at MTN Creek. Not a skier or golfer. They raised their kids in a big ass house in Sparta and once the kids were grown, wanted no maintenance condo living. Wanted to stay in country Jersey. While dated, they like the health club and pool facilities there plus nearby hiking.

We had a regional meeting there two years ago in Summer. I was surprised how packed the place was. Also surprised at the vertical and ok pitch of the ski slopes for in Jersey. Though I'm sure the skiing still sucks comeparitive to New England.

NYC and NJ skiers deserve props. You're fucked both ways. It's either lame local options or you have to drive 4-6 hours to something good. That's serious commitment

 

[drjeff]

Snazzy slopeside hotel rooms and housing 20 minutes from Lake George and the race track at Saratoga and an easy ride from the NY metro area.

I grew up racing with/against the principle owner, Spencer Montgomery, and even back in the mid/late 80's you got the idea that once he wanted to do something, it was going to happen.

 

[Newpylong]

One of my good friends interviewed (and turned down the offer) as their assistant GM last year and I was an industry reference on his resume, so I got to speak with Spencer at great length. What a solid guy and I got that same feeling. They have a good thing going on over there.

 

[p_levert]

Snazzy slopeside hotel rooms and housing 20 minutes from Lake George and the race track at Saratoga and an easy ride from the NY metro area.

A really easy ride from Albany, a metro area with 1,170,00 people! Even greater Glens Falls has 128K people. Plus close to Lake George and the race track. It *could* work.

But, yeah, just like @jaytrem , I hope they don't overextend themselves. The 1K vertical is plenty for the location, the 450 ft base elevation, however, is scary.

 

[Killingtime]

Hit West Mtn on my way to Gore last year. I like seeing new mountains and different terrain so it was cool for a few hours. A regular diet of West Mtn? I'll keep heading north or east but like others have said, people bought condo's at Mountain Creek so who knows. Vacation rental property is hot right now. Seems to be an endless supply of suckers willing to pony up big bucks for slopeside condos these days.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Yeah....not happening........This is arguably more batshit crazy than the Catamount timeshare hotel/expansion they were pitching a decade ago (and failed).

It's another circumstantial bit of evidence pointing towards what a real estate bubble America is in right now.

HISTORICAL TIP: Nobody ever knows they're in an asset bubble of any sort, until said bubble bursts.

 

[BenedictGomez]

My boss lives in a slopeside condo at MTN Creek.

That's crazy. Either your company needs to pay better, or this dude is like Warren Buffett living in the same modest home since the 1950s. I'm a frugal guy, and even I cant understand the (extreme) frugality of some folks sometimes. To each his/her own I guess, but as one of my favorite Jewish sayings goes, "shrouds dont have pockets".

 

[BenedictGomez]

NYC and NJ skiers deserve props. You're fucked both ways. It's either lame local options or you have to drive 4-6 hours to something good. That's serious commitment

It's really awful. If we dont move out west within the next year or so, I would seriously consider buying a second home in Southern Vermont to ski Magic every weekend (4 hours, which, I know you think that's crazy, but when you live here that actually seems logical), but from what I understand Vermont treats 2nd homeowners rough, with no lube, and prison style, so I'm not even sure that's an option.