The hangup all along has not been the ski area, it has been the real estate surrounding it. Expensive condos were built which were never sold and the Berry's are still holding them and the land around the area.
What bothers me is it really is about the real estate. The mountain has been a money looser for everyone who has owned it. I have not heard one person say the mountain can turn a profit. Not a fan of state money (Maine is a poor state with a lot of infrastructure and small towns) being used to prop up real estate.
Not a fan of the Berry's and definitely have had issue with some of the advice they have followed. Arctaris seems to be playing the game too. When they had their big public meeting to announce the purchase they skipped over the public funding part. To me, it seems they are trying to drive that now in a not upfront way.
Rangeley as a town has suffered, but relative to other Maine towns is doing pretty well. Unemployment in the county like the rest of the state has steadily declined since Saddleback was shuttered. Seasonal wages at a ski area don't seem like the best place for the state to be putting its money.
I agree directionally. To me, the issue with the Berry's is them acting like they're sitting on some kind of gold mine when they're not. The real estate is a crucial element of it.
Sounds like we agree that the whole state of Maine is likely to struggle from urbanization trends - not just the rural areas.