WEST DOVER — A new 38,000-square-foot base lodge is officially becoming part of the landscape at Mount Snow’s all terrain-park face Carinthia.
“This day has finally come,” said Dick Deutsch, president of Mount Snow and vice president of business and real estate development at Peak Resorts. “It’s been a long time.”
The project was started in 2014, Deutsch said Monday during a groundbreaking ceremony, and fundraising through the federal EB-5 program has proved challenging.
The alleged fraud at Jay Peak Resort intensified scrutiny of the Vermont EB-5 Regional Center program. Although Mount Snow was not involved in the controversy, the company has had difficulty soliciting a total of $52 million in immigrant investor funds for the resort expansion.
The EB-5 program allows foreign investors to put up $500,000 for developments in exchange for a green card. Each investment must generate 10 jobs, and the developments must be located in areas that are economically challenged.
The $22 million three-story Carinthia lodge is expected to open for the 2018/19 ski season. It’s described by the resort as “a hub for future development at Mount Snow, which will add slopeside lodging accommodations, improved parking facilities and a range of guest amenities to the Carinthia base area.”
Scott Dupuis, Dupuis Carpentry owner, said digging would begin this week.
Inside the new base lodge will be seating for 500 guests, a full-service restaurant, a cafeteria, two bars and a coffee counter. Other services will include ski rentals, tune-ups, retail, and sales for lift tickets and lessons. A youth activity room and convenience store are also part of the plan.
Resort officials expect the lodge to be used for different purposes all year long, including conferences, weddings or other events.
Brent Raymond, vice president of special projects at Peak Resorts, said the next project should be a hotel in the Carinthia area. Currently, the idea is to offer 104 units.
Weekly updates on construction at Mount Snow can be found on the resort’s social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Reach staff writer Chris Mays at 802-254-2311, ext. 273, or @CMaysBR.