RESORT RENAISSANCE
Indoor adventure centre part of $345M Whistler Blackcomb boost
We continue to be in active discussions ... to pave the way for Renaissance.
Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. has announced plans for what it calls its largest investment in the company’s history: an estimated $345-million investment that includes a new lift, a new village at the foot of Blackcomb Mountain, two real estate developments and an indoor water-based adventure centre at Blackcomb’s upper bases.
The enhancements are to be rolled out in three phases to “further solidify and enhance the company’s reputation as one of the world’s greatest four-season mountain resorts,” the company said in a news release.
The new enhancements, called Renaissance, will “further diversify our revenue and enhance the activities available for our guests while elevating Whistler Blackcomb’s core skiing, mountain biking and sightseeing experiences,” Whistler Blackcomb president and CEO Dave Brownlie said.
According to the release, Phase 1 of the plan includes an estimated $90-million to $100-million investment in new mountain adventure experiences.
There would also be an expansion of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park into the Creekside zone, including 50 kilometres of new downhill mountain biking trails.
New amenities planned in this phase include The Watershed, a year-round indoor adventure centre to be located at Blackcomb’s upper base. It is envisioned as a 163,000-square-foot facility with waterslides, surf simulator, cliff jumping and rock climbing, along with bowling, food services and retail space.
For skiers, a new high-speed lift will replace the Magic Chair and connect Blackcomb’s upper and lower bases.
New snow school learning zones, a night skiing zone and enhanced snowmaking are also in the plans.
Phase 2 includes an estimated $105-million to $115-million investment in a new day lodge and snow school facility within the adventure centre on Blackcomb Mountain, a two-storey parking complex at Blackcomb’s upper Base 2 area, and other infrastructure projects to lay the foundation for Renaissance Phase 3, which includes the development and sale of around 60 ski-in ski-out townhomes totalling about 160,000 net salable square feet.
Phase 3 also includes at least $ 140 million worth of investment in Blackcomb’s base area in the Upper Village to transform it into a vibrant upscale village community.
An upgraded day lodge and skiers’ plaza, a new snow school facility and a luxury real estate development project are also in the works.
Whistler Blackcomb said Renaissance is subject to a number of conditions, including municipal and provincial government approvals, and the completion of consultations with the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations.
The company estimates the construction period for phases 1 and 2 could last five years.
“We continue to be in active discussions with the province and the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations to secure the renewal of our Master Development Agreements and master plans to pave the way for Renaissance,” Brownlie said.
Whistler Blackcomb, which hosted the alpine skiing events during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, is two side-by-side mountains linked by the Peak 2 Peak Gondola.
The area has more than 200 marked runs, over 3,235 hectares of terrain, 14 alpine bowls, three glaciers and has on average 1,163 centimetres of snow annually.
It’s North America’s largest fourseason mountain resort.