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04/30/2006Leelanau resort to focus on snowboardersSeveral ski runs will be preserved under proposalCEDAR — The new owner of Sugar Loaf Resort hopes an emphasis on youth culture will revive the long-shuttered Leelanau County property. A focus on so-called "extreme" sports — snowboarding and skateboarding — highlight an estimated $50 million renovation plan for the dormant resort that new owner Kate Wickstrom submitted to Cleveland Township officials. "We have to look at the future of Sugar Loaf," Wickstrom said. "Skiing and winter activities are the priorities." The proposal is to convert the east side of the resort's ski hill into a multiple skill level snowboard park, while maintaining several ski runs and adding new amenities, including hilltop condominiums overlooking Lake Michigan and an upscale campground catering to recreational vehicles. Wickstrom envisions Sugar Loaf as a "destination resort" for snowboarders. "We'll be the only one in the Midwest of this magnitude," she said. Cleveland Township's Planning Commission will review the plans on Wednesday. Commission secretary Brian Price said planners will set a public hearing before they make a recommendation to the township board. The proposal includes renovation of the resort's main lodge building to include administrative offices, retail shops, a restaurant and bar, a wine and food shop, spa and other attractions. The north end of the lodge would be razed and replaced with 50 condominium units that would be part of about 150 rooms. Wickstrom hopes to reopen the resort's bar and restaurant by summer, and have two of the ski lifts operating for the 2006-07 winter season for snowboarding and skiing. "We are shooting for this winter to have activity out there," she said. Other work includes: n Renovating the "Sugar Barn" indoor tennis courts to an indoor skateboard park. An outdoor skate park and parking lot also will be built. n A 135-unit recreational vehicle campground on a 40-acre parcel along Mountain Road at the south end of the property. It will feature three bathhouses and walking trails to the lodge, ski area and skate parks. n A 22-unit "airport condominium" just east of the air strip offering airplane hangers combined with residential housing. n Other residential development that includes 20 condominium lots in the southwest corner of the property, 14 condo units south of Mountain Road and nine clustered housing lots off Bodus Road east of the resort. Wickstrom's development team includes project engineer Doug Mansfield and construction manager Lionel Thomas. Mansfield said the group tried to come up with niche ideas like the snowboard area, airport condos and RV park to build the resort's customer base with attractions not readily available in Leelanau County. "We think there's enough cash flow to make a good, good run at it," Mansfield said. "There's a little bit of a lot of markets there." Wickstrom bought the resort, closed six years ago by the previous owner, in March 2005. The two golf courses and other property were sold in a separate transaction last May to partners Ed Fleis and Brian Sculthrop. Wickstrom knows county residents are anxious for renovations to begin, but said her development team spent considerable time and effort to come up with a plan she hopes will be financially sustainable. "I hoped things would've moved along a little faster," Wickstrom said. "That's been one of the hardest things — to put something together that will make a majority of the people happy."
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