MONTPELIER, Vt. – The owners of northern Vermont’s Jay Peak resort announced Thursday they have closed on the purchase of another northern Vermont ski hill, Burke Mountain, a move Jay Peak’s president said would strengthen both businesses.

Bill Stenger, president and co-owner of Jay Peak, near the Canadian border, and business partner Ari Quiros closed Tuesday on the deal to buy the smaller Burke Mountain resort from a subsidiary of Florida-based real estate developer Ginn Co. for an undisclosed sum.

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Burke Mountain ski area is seen in Burke, Vt. The president of Vermont’s Jay Peak resort and his longtime business partner have bought another northern Vermont ski area, Burke Mountain. Bill Stenger and Ari Quiros took possession of Burke Mountain from the Florida-based Ginn Corp. real estate holding company on Tuesday for an undisclosed price. 2003 File Photo by The Associated Press

“It’s going to be a better place to have Jay and Burke aligned and joined,” Stenger said. “We plan to go hard in the Boston area and southern New England” marketing the twin destinations.

The two resorts are about 45 minutes apart in a rural section of Vermont known as the Northeast Kingdom.

Jay has been expanding rapidly in recent years, with the addition of a hotel, waterpark, golf course and other facilities. Stenger said he and Quiros hope to bring a new burst of development to Burke as well.

Jay gets nearly half its business from Canada — Monteal is 90 minutes away — and had about 4,000 season ticket holders this past season, spokesman J.J. Toland said. Burke has about half that number of season ticket holders and caters to a more local clientele.

Stenger said Burke’s role as a resort destination has been hampered by too few accommodations in the area for out-of-town visitors.

“The thing they need more than anything else is a bed base that guests who come to the area can go to,” Stenger said. “I think a hotel is definitely in the future” at Burke Mountain.

Burke has had a spotty history financially.

Before Ginn arrived on the scene, Burke had had four owners in the previous 20 years and gone bankrupt four times.

Ginn bought Burke in 2005 and later announced plans to bring major development to the area. In early 2008, just before the Great Recession hit, the company said it hoped to build 1,024 houses and condominiums, a spa, stores, restaurants and a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, plans later slowed by a weak economy and tight credit.

Now it appears it may be on stronger footing. While he would not disclose the purchase price, Stenger said the deal did not rely on borrowed money.

“We don’t have any debt,” Stenger said. “We have a clean slate going forward.”

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