This story by Chris Mays was published by the Brattleboro Reformer on July 4.
[W]EST DOVER — The Carinthia lodge at Mount Snow has been demolished and new memories will be created inside its replacement, an approximately $22 million building opening this coming ski season.
Mount Snow General Manager Erik Barnes said the building “came down pretty easy.”
“They’re pulling the deck apart now,” he said Monday. “We should be pretty well buttoned up by the end of the week.”
Plimpton Excavating, of Wardsboro, performed the demolition. The work began just before the last week in June.
The lodge was built in 1960. In its spot will be parking for guests who pay to have more convenient spots.
A new, bigger lodge is being built nearby. Barnes said construction is on schedule.
The 38,000-square-foot lodge will host ticket sales, a full retail store, a tuning area and a rental shop on the first floor. The next level is getting a cafeteria with a coffee bar and lounge. The third floor will have a sit-down restaurant, which will be named within the next couple of weeks.
Construction crews are focused on the interior now.
“They got the outside done,” Barnes said. “They’re hanging Sheetrock. We got all of our pipes in and wire in. We’re going through some final design for the interior, just crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s. But we’re coming into the home stretch now.”
Mount Snow is owned by Peak Resorts, based in Missouri, and is using EB-5 funding for expansion. It has previously used EB-5 investment money for a snowmaking project, and is raising money now for a housing project.
Dupuis Construction, of West Dover, is the general contractor for the project. Several other local companies also were hired.
Scott Dupuis’ company “has just been smashing it for us,” Barnes said. “We’re pretty pleased with how it came out.”
Jamie Storrs, communications manager at Mount Snow, expects the new lodge to see more traffic than its predecessor. Seating will be available for 260 guests and the deck will be larger than the old one.
“It’s definitely going to be a big draw,” Storrs said. “We’re expecting a lot more people to start and end their day there.”
The hope is to finish construction by Nov. 1. An opening ceremony will be announced later.
Barnes said general maintenance projects being done this summer include vehicle repairs, chair lift servicing and painting or other cosmetic repairs.
In the summer, the resort offers golf, mountain biking, scenic chair lift rides, musical performances and a day camp.
