The companies that took over Sugarloaf in 2007 say they have invested $11 million in improvements, from expanded snowmaking to a new outdoor grill for the patio area known as “The Beach.”

Resort officials say they now hope to invest another $25 million over the next 10 years, including replacing a number of lifts.

CNL Lifestyle Properties, a Florida-based resort owner, acquired Sugarloaf for $77 million in the summer of 2007. Boyne Resorts, a Michigan-based company, became the operator under a long-term lease agreement.

The need to invest in improvements and deferred maintenance was well-known, say Sugarloaf officials and skiers.

“There were lifts that had paint peeling off them, and seat pads were popping out,” said Stephen Kircher, president of Boyne Resorts’ eastern operations. “There was a lot of deferred maintenance when we stepped into Maine. That has been addressed. Now we’re onto our next steps.”

Additional snowmaking equipment was considered the most urgent need on the mountain, officials said. Sugarloaf now has 150 new low-energy snowmaking guns, in addition to new pumps and thousands of feet of new pipe, according to the resort. As a result, it has been able to open all trails by Christmas vacation week in the past two years.

“The first year we opened, we had 20 runs at Christmas. This year we had 106 runs open,” Kircher said.

A second step is the development of new skiing terrain in Brackett Basin and on Burnt Mountain, a project that began in 2010.

The combination of increasing traffic on the slopes and expansion into new areas has made it possible for Boyne to propose the 10-year improvement plan, called Sugarloaf 2020, to CNL.

“Now we’re in a position where we can request more capital and it will support more capital,” Kircher said.

Spillway East, the double chairlift that derailed last week, is in line to be replaced first, with a $3 million, four-person chairlift. The new, heavier lift will increase capacity and be more resistant to wind, which frequently causes operators to shut down Spillway East.

Resort officials say they may replace Spillway East as soon as this summer, but CNL has not yet committed to doing the project this year. The timing of investments will depend on skier traffic and demand, say Boyne and CNL officials.

The Sugarloaf 2020 plan will “make Sugarloaf the largest and best skier’s mountain in the eastern United States,” according to the resort.

Investments in the past three years include new snow groomers, renovation of the Bullwinkle’s lodge and the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, new lift houses, new trail signs, and improvements to the Base Lodge and its outdoor patio area, according to Sugarloaf.

Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at:

jrichardson@pressherald.com

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