MONEY

Stowe builds year-round amenities

Haley Dover
Free Press Staff Writer
Construction of the latest in a series of building projects at Spruce Peak, part of Stowe Mountain Resort, includes an underground parking garage and geothermal heating and cooling.

STOWE – Members and guests of Stowe Mountain Resort can fly down a zip line, go on a tree-top adventure, play golf, shop, eat, sleep and, oh yeah — ski and snowboard.

Gone are the days of heading to the mountain only for winter sports. More and more, resorts across Vermont are becoming year-round destinations.

Ground broke last summer on Stowe's latest development at Spruce Peak, where condos, a base lodge, ice rink and children's activity center will be built alongside an existing hotel, mountain lodge and performing arts center.

A coffee shop, deli and general store and a clothing boutique have opened during the past year, said Sam Gaines, director of development for the resort. Retail stores were the first phase of a much grander construction project, he said.

Spruce Peak is being built with convenience in mind, Gaines said.

"If there is anything people don't like about skiing, it's the inconvenience of it: lugging the stuff, parking the car, dropping the kids off at ski school, standing in line," he said. "Ultimately, if we can get you on the hill easily, you are going to have an amazing experience."

Ski tourism brings in a fair share of money for the state and for resorts, but more visitors are coming to the Green Mountain State in the warmer months, said Sarah Wojcik, director of public affairs for Ski Vermont.

Samuel Gaines, director of development at Stowe Mountain Resort, looks out from one of the condos within their latest new construction project. This unit is selling for about $4 million.

"Winter is a great time. Resorts are making lots of money for the state," she said. "But summer draws even more people to Vermont, and resorts want to tap into that."

A 2013 study completed by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development estimated 12.8 million people traveled to Vermont for leisure, business or personal reasons. The biannual study is the most recent look at the impact of visitor spending on Vermont's economy, said Greg Gerdel, chief of research and operations for the agency.

Visitors spent $1.82 billion for goods and services in 2013, the report states. Vacation homeowners spent an additional $670 million during the year.

Tourism in New England is focused on the summer months, but skiing and other winter sports provide the state a boost of activity, the tourism benchmark study states.

About $180 million was spent on ski tickets in 2013, studies from New England Ski History show. The Department of Motor Vehicles and the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers collected more than $1 million for snowmobile permits purchased by non-residents.

Construction crews work on the roof of a massive new building at Spruce Peak, part of Stowe Mountain Resort, which broke ground in the spring of 2014.

Modern building, campy theme

At Stowe, a tour of the construction site one recent warm summer afternoon reveals Spruce Peak's roots as a ski resort and focus on being much more. Construction continues on the nearly 200,000-square-foot space, but already, hints of the forest inspiration are visible.

Timber structures and local stone form the exterior of the building. The member clubhouse is inspired by a spruce pine cone to replicate the feeling of nature, said Gaines, Stowe's director of development.

Near the retail shops is an outdoor fireplace sitting dormant for the summer. Pieces of a second fireplace have been placed near the future ice-rink. Construction crews plan to open the outdoor spaces in December.

Inside the lodge, every room will have a dual purpose, Gaines said.

The main entrance will serve as a check-in spot for children going to the activity center. In the same spot where parents will help kids bundle up for a day of skiing will be Stowe Rocks — a climbing gym that includes a three-story rock wall for families who need a break from the mountain, or kids enrolled in the resort's summer camps, he said.

Part of the new development at Spruce Peak, part of Stowe Mountain Resort, is a green that will be covered into a skating rink in the winter.

"It's a modern building with a campy theme," Gaines said.

Around the corner will be a storage space for boots and coats. At night the room will turn into a movie theater.

Rental space for kids equipment and a children's clubhouse will be upstairs, he said. Developers hope to open the center in February or March and will be open year-round.

Nineteen condos above the center already have been sold for a total of $42 million, Gaines said.

The new convenient spaces and amenities are meant to maximize family time for members and guests, he said.

That includes all four seasons.

Samuel Gaines, director of development at Stowe Mountain Resort, shows the Free Press the inside of the new multi-million dollar building under construction at Spruce Peak.

A resort for all seasons

Ski resorts across the state are taking advantage of available space, said Sarah Wojcik, director of public affairs for Ski Vermont.

Mountain-bike trails, zip lines, rope courses, and arbor treks have been popping up in resorts across the state, she said. Killington is building a roller coaster, and Jay Peak is home to the Pump House Indoor Waterpark.

Resorts play host to weddings and business conferences and have opened spas, golf courses and pools, Wojick said.

More activities will draw more people, she said.

"And summer is the quintessential family vacation time," she said.

A majority of visitors to the town of Stowe come during the summer and fall, said Ed Stahl, executive director of the Stowe Area Association.

For 23 years, the association has focused on marketing the summer and fall businesses, he said. Development at the mountain has helped to expand the number of people coming to the area.

"We are trying to expose people to all the different activities," Stahl said. "From simply looking at the scenery, mountain biking or self-guided tours of breweries, cider makers and distilleries, we're selling the whole experience for families or couples," he said.

A new underground parking garage is part of the latest construction at Stowe Mountain Resort's Spruce Peak.

Gaines, the director of development at Stowe, echoed Stahl's thoughts. Stowe is unique because people have always come to the town and the resort year-round.

"That's a little different than other resorts who have to bring a big splash to get people there," he said.

Ski resorts are able to have multiseason business because of the core business, he added.

"Twenty years ago, people were looking for a ski home," Gaines said. "Now they are looking for a vacation home, and that means we have to deliver every day of the year."

This story was first posted online on Aug. 2, 2015. Contact Haley Dover at 660-1850 or hdover@freepressmedia.com. Follow Haley on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HaleyRDover.