A new base lodge and chairlift are among the improvements .
RUMFORD – Black Mountain will experience a multi-million dollar expansion this year, paid for with a grant from the Libra Foundation.
The mountain’s Board of Directors were all smiles Monday when they announced plans for a new ski lodge that will more than double the space of the 40-year-old facility and for a triple chairlift to the top of the mountain, something that has never been done before.
“It’s overwhelming. We can’t comprehend what’s ahead of us,” said mountain manager Jeff Knight.
The fortunes of the 45-year-old family-oriented facility were enhanced last year when the ski area was purchased by the Maine Winter Sports Center, a non-profit organization primarily based in northern Maine. The MWSC works closely with the Libra Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Portland that has provided millions of dollars for hundreds of non-profits over the years, including several million dollars for the MWSC’s ski centers.
Construction on the 12,000-square-foot lodge is expected to begin by June. It will be built to the right of the existing lodge. A parking lot will be built and paved, and the old lodge will be transformed into a ski waxing facility that may also serve to accommodate spillover during popular ski competitions.
Hopes for building a trail and installing a chairlift to the summit of the mountain have been held by the Chisholm Ski Club, which is the organization that launched Black Mountain nearly 45 years ago. But they didn’t expect it to happen quite so quickly.
Last year, soon after MWSC bought the mountain, a novice 1,400-foot chairlift was installed and work completed on a new novice skiing area. Plans also began to try to get a chairlift that would reach the top.
The new lift, at 4,200 feet, will be the same size as the chairlift that serves Saddleback Mountain.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Roger Arsenault, president of the mountain’s board. “This is one of the largest grants ever given.”
A new maintenance building, which will be built by volunteers, is also planned for the mountain. Volunteers will also renovate the existing lodge into a waxing facility. The town has agreed to extend the municipal sewage line, at a cost of about $500,000, about two miles to the mountain this summer, an action that will likely open up other properties in the area to future development.
Arsenault said Rumford’s history of support for the ski area and the thousands of volunteer hours given by ski club members and others most likely led to the receipt of the grant.
“It’s great for the town and the whole area,” said Town Manager Robert Welch. “We’ve got to thank all the people in this room. All the races that come here benefit the town. It’s a great addition.”
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