Who wants in?

[Harkin Banks]

Hmmmm.

I don't know anything about this kind of stuff nor do I have the means to actually think about this as an opportunity. But for some reason I find the concept of being able to buy a whole ski area fascinating.

My idea would be to build it out into a very posh high end condo development. Use the ski facilities as a private area for the condo owners...

 

[ski_resort_observer]

It's spring...it's real estate time!!! The fishing line is out...don't be a stupid fish. You could buy MV for 1.5 million cash maybe less if it's October.

It does have potential especially when it seems that alot of these type of ski areas seem to be doing well in New England.

 

[tree_skier]

Really...Do you know how much he put into the place?[/quote]

No but it wasn't much. It was running the season before he bought it at a tax sale and the rumor and I stress rumor was that the agreement with the former owner for all the non fixed assets (groomers, snowguns etc) was for less then $50,000.

 

[smootharc]

Too late....while we all sat on our butts discussing things...

...a power consortium of Intrawest, American Ski Company and Donald Trump just bought Maple Valley.

A 65 story hotel/casino is planned, along with a clean fill program at the summit which will add 4,400 vertical to the existing 600, giving the newly named "Vermontzilla Resort" 5000 vertical feet of bowls, steeps, and synthetic trees. A permanent "cloud cap" will be erected above the mountain, maintaining temperatures of 28 degrees during winter months, and providing 12-20" of fresh 8.10% powder nightly. During the day, this will retract if the sky is blue, and, if not, a synthetic sun will shine against the painted blue ceiling, which will boast 4 painted on "puffy white" clouds. In a statement from his office this morning, Mr. Trump said "I've always liked the way Vermont looked on maps, and when this opportunity to own a little piece of the state that has that old man / live free motto on its license plates came up, I grabbed it. If I hadn't, I'd have had to look at my self in the mirror and yelled 'You're fired!".

A year round indoor skiing facility with 500' vertical is planned, along with a theme park, high end outlet mall, and an A-Z list of national theme restaraunts and fast food places which will assure all clients feel comfortible with homogenized offerings they can find at home.

Phase I includes 850 units of high-end condominium housing starting at $500,000 for one-bedroom studios. The adjacent Phase II property will be developed with 250 high end luxury homes which start at 7,500 square feet and $3 million.

In addition, an eight lane highway direct from all major urban centers in the Northeast has been passed by Vermont's legislature during a 2am session this morning. They also passed a 4000' airport runway which will accomodate private jets up to Gulfstream V's.

And, finally, Vermontzilla has been FIS approved, and will host the 2018 Winter Olympics, having beaten out Lake Placid and Innsbruck for the honor.

In a preemptive move, all other Vermont and New England ski areas have permanently closed their doors, with "For Sale" signs sprouting like mushrooms this morning. Sugarbush and the town of Warren have been listed on Ebay for $659,000 all in.

:lol: :dunce:

 

[Brettski]

Actually I just read that Les bought the bush...the whole bush and nothing but the bush for 12 million in 94...the dropped another 10 into it...

Is that what put him outta business...

I remeber skiing there a year after all that snowmaking a lift upgrades went in....some seriously good quality snow....

 

[ctenidae]

I almost beleived you, smootharc, until I saw the bit about Warren. There's no way anyone would pay that much for that town!

 

[thetrailboss]

Actually I just read that Les bought the bush...the whole bush and nothing but the bush for 12 million in 94...the dropped another 10 into it...

Is that what put him outta business...

I remeber skiing there a year after all that snowmaking a lift upgrades went in....some seriously good quality snow....

I recall the number being $28 million in upgrades.

The fact that he did the same thing at the other resorts he bought, combined with bad weather, weak ski market, and other factors sank him.

SB was sold after ASC was approached by the 'local' investors.

 

[smootharc]

Sugarbush and Otten....

This pretty much sums it up...


http://www.bostonmagazine.com/ArticleDisplay.php?id=183

 

[ctenidae]

From looking at the way ski resorts ahve been going the past few years, it seems clear to me the way to do it is buy a resort after someone else has poured a ton of money into it and gone bankrupt. Nothing like a fire sale liquidation to turn up a bargain.

 

[Brettski]

OMG

Otten gets credit for the tremendous snowmaking framework in place at the company's mountains. After he bought Sunday River in 1980 for roughly $132,000

 

[mergs]

600' vert... oh my... with the warm weather trends of late, lots of competition from other resorts, and no vert, I think that's a bad investment any way you cut it. I think Mtn Creek in NJ has 800.

 

[riverc0il]

Re: Hmmmm.

I don't know anything about this kind of stuff nor do I have the means to actually think about this as an opportunity. But for some reason I find the concept of being able to buy a whole ski area fascinating.

My idea would be to build it out into a very posh high end condo development. Use the ski facilities as a private area for the condo owners...

this has been done at bear creek VT and is in the works at snow valley VT. with it's southern VT location and close proximately to the big money makers in NY and CT, there would be potential for this, but they would have snow valley to compete with and SV already has the ball rolling.

that lodge looks incredible, wow.

i think the likely hood of this are being bought and reopened is unfortunately low. too close to other areas offering something a little more substantial. more likely to be bought and subdivided into million dollar homes :evil:

 

[riverc0il]

SB was sold after ASC was approached by the 'local' investors.

i am oblivious to why the word local would be in quotes, but i am curious to be enlightened...

 

[ChileMass]

OK - here's my thread hijack.....

8 miles north of Saratoga Springs, NY is the former Alpine Meadows, a closed ski hill I used to work and ski at back in the 70s. It's been closed for almost 20 years now, but had 1000' of vert and very good access to major roads (I-87) and population centers (Saratoga, Glens Falls, Albany, etc). It's been sitting there since the 80s collecting dust.

The kicker is that about 1 mile back down the road is a gorgeous 18-hole golf course that could easily be for sale. Brookhaven Golf Club is owned by the former labor union of the recently-closed Corinth, NY paper mill. It is about 300 acres, probably does less than $300K in business all year, and could be had for a song. Put the golf course and the old ski hill together and you could open a new 4-season resort 3.5 hours from Manhattan or Boston.

I'll be entertaining inquiries for shares starting at $250K. Who wants in on this - ????

 

[ALLSKIING]

OK - here's my thread hijack.....

8 miles north of Saratoga Springs, NY is the former Alpine Meadows, a closed ski hill I used to work and ski at back in the 70s. It's been closed for almost 20 years now, but had 1000' of vert and very good access to major roads (I-87) and population centers (Saratoga, Glens Falls, Albany, etc). It's been sitting there since the 80s collecting dust.

The kicker is that about 1 mile back down the road is a gorgeous 18-hole golf course that could easily be for sale. Brookhaven Golf Club is owned by the former labor union of the recently-closed Corinth, NY paper mill. It is about 300 acres, probably does less than $300K in business all year, and could be had for a song. Put the golf course and the old ski hill together and you could open a new 4-season resort 3.5 hours from Manhattan or Boston.

I'll be entertaining inquiries for shares starting at $250K. Who wants in on this - ????

Will you take a third party out of state check? :wink:

 

[mergs]

OK - here's my thread hijack.....

8 miles north of Saratoga Springs, NY is the former Alpine Meadows, a closed ski hill I used to work and ski at back in the 70s. It's been closed for almost 20 years now, but had 1000' of vert and very good access to major roads (I-87) and population centers (Saratoga, Glens Falls, Albany, etc). It's been sitting there since the 80s collecting dust.

The kicker is that about 1 mile back down the road is a gorgeous 18-hole golf course that could easily be for sale. Brookhaven Golf Club is owned by the former labor union of the recently-closed Corinth, NY paper mill. It is about 300 acres, probably does less than $300K in business all year, and could be had for a song. Put the golf course and the old ski hill together and you could open a new 4-season resort 3.5 hours from Manhattan or Boston.

I'll be entertaining inquiries for shares starting at $250K. Who wants in on this - ????

Will you take a third party out of state check? :wink:

Can I use my buddy's American Express Platinum card?

 

[bigbog]

We should open a brewery on site...I'll cook the grain...we could grow our own hops as well...

You need to hire Telegrrl as a consultant 8)

 

[skintowin]

How much for the snow cats?

 

[subdude]

Re: Too late....while we all sat on our butts discussing things...

...a power consortium of Intrawest, American Ski Company and Donald Trump just bought Maple Valley.

A 65 story hotel/casino is planned, along with a clean fill program at the summit which will add 4,400 vertical to the existing 600, giving the newly named "Vermontzilla Resort" 5000 vertical feet of bowls, steeps, and synthetic trees. A permanent "cloud cap" will be erected above the mountain, maintaining temperatures of 28 degrees during winter months, and providing 12-20" of fresh 8.10% powder nightly. During the day, this will retract if the sky is blue, and, if not, a synthetic sun will shine against the painted blue ceiling, which will boast 4 painted on "puffy white" clouds. In a statement from his office this morning, Mr. Trump said "I've always liked the way Vermont looked on maps, and when this opportunity to own a little piece of the state that has that old man / live free motto on its license plates came up, I grabbed it. If I hadn't, I'd have had to look at my self in the mirror and yelled 'You're fired!".

A year round indoor skiing facility with 500' vertical is planned, along with a theme park, high end outlet mall, and an A-Z list of national theme restaraunts and fast food places which will assure all clients feel comfortible with homogenized offerings they can find at home.

Phase I includes 850 units of high-end condominium housing starting at $500,000 for one-bedroom studios. The adjacent Phase II property will be developed with 250 high end luxury homes which start at 7,500 square feet and $3 million.

In addition, an eight lane highway direct from all major urban centers in the Northeast has been passed by Vermont's legislature during a 2am session this morning. They also passed a 4000' airport runway which will accomodate private jets up to Gulfstream V's.

And, finally, Vermontzilla has been FIS approved, and will host the 2018 Winter Olympics, having beaten out Lake Placid and Innsbruck for the honor.

In a preemptive move, all other Vermont and New England ski areas have permanently closed their doors, with "For Sale" signs sprouting like mushrooms this morning. Sugarbush and the town of Warren have been listed on Ebay for $659,000 all in.

:lol: :dunce:

Bad investment as much as I hate to do this "your fired" :lol:

 

[maxximummaxx]

Chili, I was hoping you could offer up some more details on this golf/ski venture. Do you own these
two places. Are they actually for sale or your shopping for investors and looking to make an offer.
Any details would be greatly appreciated.