Barnes may be redefining what it means to “hit the ground running.” The company put the final ink on the deal on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, Barnes started operating the Haystack Golf Course. Over the weekend, Barnes says, he sold several Haystack Club memberships. On Monday morning, carpenters were already at work at Haystack Ski Area finishing three of the units in the only townhouse that was constructed by the previous owner. And next Monday? “We’re starting on the framing of the next building,” Barnes says.
Barnes says that he has retained all current staff at Haystack Golf Course, and has already moved to rehire some former Haystack Club employees, including Bob Rubin, who played a key role in the planning and development of the club.
Barnes says he plans to move forward with the Haystack Club concept developed by the former owner, Bob Foisie, and his company, 1 Cornell Inc. Foisie broke ground on the project in fall 2006. His ambitious project included the construction of 118 four-unit townhouses, an 81-unit condominium complex on the upper mountain area, an 89-unit condominium complex on the lower mountain area, a 162-unit hotel, as well as an extensive remodeling of the former Haystack Upper Base Lodge, a new base lodge, restaurant, spa complex, a centrally located propane facility, and a mountain operations building. The private resort was slated to be open only to guests, with almost no public access. The club would, however, sell as many as 250 lift tickets per day to local residents.
The club also planned the construction of a “chondola” combination chairlift and gondola, as well as snowmaking and trail improvements.
Four months after breaking ground, however, Foisie abruptly halted work on the project and refunded club memberships, and began squabbling with local officials over property valuation and sewer obligations. During the period that the club was under construction, Haystack’s original base lodge was demolished, and the newer “upper” base lodge was gutted. After a court battle with the town, Foisie won a reduction in the assessment for the property.
But now, in what should be an important economic development boost to the valley, Barnes is moving forward almost as if the project never stumbled. “Our intention is to open the ski area this year,” he said. “Effective Monday, we hired a number of people to get the Hayfever lift running and certified, and start preparing the snowmaking equipment.”
Barnes’ Hermitage Inn will also be linked to the overall resort. “The intention is really to complete the vision that was laid out, to have a private ski community and golf club,” Barnes says. But his company has also acquired a number of properties that lie between the Hermitage and the ski area, which could allow direct access between the two establishments.
Originally, Haystack Club memberships were set at $85,000. Barnes says memberships under his ownership will be substantially more affordable. “In addition to that, we’re going to have equity owners in the club."
The real estate sales strategy also represents a departure from the past. Barnes says the company is marketing the townhouse units on the multiple listing service (MLS).
The Wilmington Selectboard has approved the lease of glebe land, a municipally-owned property which includes many of the ski trails, to Barnes.
Read more: Deerfield Valley News - New owners close deal on Haystack ski area work restarts
View article by going to: www.dvalnews.com/
Haystack set for comeback
News this week that the shuttered Haystack ski area has been purchased should come as welcome relief to just about everybody in the region. The idea that the lifts may soon once again be running and skiers and riders enjoying Haystack’s slopes is very exciting indeed.
For those who are skiers, the reason for the excitement is obvious. Haystack has long been a hidden gem. It offers a variety of trails from easy to very difficult, and mountain enthusiasts have long considered it a personal playground. While the Haystack Club membership concept may limit access, we have a feeling that most locals will find a way to enjoy the slopes of Haystack.
But for others the real excitement should be in the economic development arena. We have long said that Haystack has been the elephant in the room when it came to economic development. No one wanted to talk about it, but there it was. The valley cannot sustain long-term economic growth without a functioning Haystack in the mix. Having a viable Haystack resort means jobs, investment, and additional business for the region.
The new owners are banking the bulk of their business plan on the real estate potential of the resort, as have many of the resort’s previous owners. To say those real estate development efforts have had mixed results is kind at best, as many ventures at Haystack have gone bust, sometimes before they ever got off the ground. But we think the new owners’ track record of success at the Hermitage and other ventures will bode well for them in their efforts with Haystack.
A revitalized Haystack, along with Mount Snow’s build-out of its master plan, should benefit the valley in many ways. But, as we’ve often said, other businesses must also keep pace with the modernization at Mount Snow, and now the rebirth of Haystack. Nobody wants to see Wilmington and Dover villages become ghost towns as visitors drive by on their way to all-inclusive resorts. Lodging properties must evolve, retail must offer the kind of shopping experience that keeps visitors coming back, restaurants must reinvent themselves from time to time, and service providers have to keep abreast of the customers’ needs. Of course Wilmington village business owners face daunting challenges in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene’s flooding, but the rebirth of the business community is also an opportunity to rebuild things better than they were before.
But for now, let’s enjoy the moment and relish in the good news of the Haystack purchase. It’s exactly the kind of positive development we’ve all needed.
Read more: Deerfield Valley News - Haystack set for comeback
Barnes, a successful businessman involved with companies that gross over $1 billion in annual sales, recently completed the sale of the Haystack Golf Course and the Haystack Club, which includes Haystack Ski Area. In 2007 Barnes’ Connecticut-based Oak Leaf Waste Management company was sold for $655 million, more than doubling the return for the company’s investors, according to Lisa Beaudoin-Mirando, of Barnes’ Hermitage Realty company.
Barnes has also acquired Haystack properties that will connect the Hermitage Inn properties to the Haystack Ski Area.
Barnes has essentially adopted the Haystack Club plan proposed by previous owner Bob Foisie and his 1 Cornell Inc. property development company, but with a few differences. Club memberships will be about $60,000 less, ($20,000 for the first 100 sold), as opposed to $85,000.
Memberships have a $4,900 annual fee, which includes all skiing, golf greens fees and cart rental, and other amenities. The Haystack Golf Course will remain open to the public.
Barnes said there’s one townhouse unit available now, three more will be available by December 15, and four more will be ready for sale in seven months. Construction has already started on the second four-unit building.
For skiers (local skiers, anyway) the good news is that Haystack Ski Area will be in operation this year. Under the terms of the original sale from Mount Snow to Foisie, the Haystack Club can to sell up to 250 lift tickets per day to local skiers, and Barnes says he intends to honor that agreement.
Within the next few weeks, Barnes said, snowmaking operations will begin. “This year we’re bringing in 25 new fan guns,” he said, “portable ones that we can move around and put where they’re needed.” The goal for this year is to get the “center” trails open, which will be served by the Hayfever lift.
Although the previous Haystack owners engaged in a legal battle with Mount Snow over access to snowmaking water, Barnes said he has been negotiating with Mount Snow. “We’d like to solve that issue so that everyone in the valley can get the water they need,” Barnes said.
“Next year we’ll have snowmaking coverage over the entire mountain,” Barnes told realtors. Also next year, Barnes will install a gondola in place of Haystack’s Barnstormer lift.
One realtor asked if the real estate and mountain infrastructure construction was dependent on revenue from sales. “Is this dependent on membership? No,” he said. “We want to get this done.”
Barnes’ plan also includes a ski trail connecting Haystack with the Hermitage. Work is already being completed on the trail, which will allow club members direct access from units at the Hermitage area and the Inn itself. Club members will be able to ski down to the Hermitage area, and return by snowcat or shuttle van.
The Hermitage will become the Haystack base area – including amenities and necessities such as first aid.
In addition to regular club memberships, Barnes is offering a “founder” membership starting at $250,000, which includes an investment in the club. For a $1 million membership, members get a seat on the Haystack board of directors and an executive home site on the mountain. “We already have a verbal commitment for four memberships at the $1 million level,” Barnes said.
Barnes plans to launch sales of his 38 executive ski homes, located on two- to three-acre sites, in 2012; a Haystack Club Hotel in 2013; and a Haystack Club lodge in 2013.
Realtor John Redd asked if snowmobilers would be accommodated at Haystack. Barnes, noting that he and his wife are snowmobilers, said there would be snowmobile access “to the door” of the Haystack units.
Read more: Deerfield Valley News - Realtors updated on Haystack Dec 2nd | New Haystack Owner Wants To Make It Members-Only Resort
(Host) The shuttered Haystack Ski Area has a new owner who plans to turn the complex into an exclusive, members-only resort.
As VPR's Susan Keese reports, those plans could mean an economic boost for southern Vermont's flood-ravaged Deerfield Valley.
(Keese) Haystack has a Dover address, but much of the resort spills over into Wilmington. The Hermitage Inn's recreation area meets the Haystack land at the border between the towns.
Jim Barnes, a Connecticut businessman, bought the Hermitage in 2007. He's turned it into a popular destination.
This October, Barnes paid $6.5 million for the Haystack ski area and golf club. He says visitors will soon be able to ski off the mountain to the inn.
(Barnes) "For us, you know the Haystack acquisition made a whole lot of sense because literally the trails go there, the roads go there and it can really be a natural extension of what the Hermitage is starting to become."
(Keese) Haystack has been closed for six or seven years, though its golf course has stayed open.
The mountain's previous owner tried twice to develop it as a members only ski club, with million dollar homes and $80,000 membership fees.
The club opened briefly for skiing in 2009, but had to close because of a water dispute with nearby Mount Snow.
But Barnes has settled that issue, and now intends to resurrect the members-only plan. He's lowered some prices - the 450 planned homes and condos will now start at $650,000.
He thinks he can succeed because he's got momentum and something to show, rather than just drawings and plans.
(Barnes) The Hermitage has gained a great reputation as a quality inn and restaurant and we have homes that we have built and are continuing to build surrounding the property and sales are going very well. So people like the idea of this lifestyle."
(Keese) Bill Colvin is the Economic Development specialist for Dover and Wilmington.
(Colvin)"I think a lot of people know Mr. Barnes, ...and I think people are, optimistic or at a minimum cautiously optimistic that things will go as planned and this will be a positive development for the region."
Barnes says downtown Wilmington will be important to the resort. He says it may be possible to include some redevelopment funds in his own financing to help restore empty storefronts left by the recent flood.
(Barnes) "I have to tell you it's one of the most quaint intersections I've been to in the United States. So, I think just everyone wants to see that rebuilt and returned to a place where you see people walking and shopping and dining."
(Keese) Barnes expects the mountain to be open weekends, starting later this month.
The ski area is promising uncrowded slopes to prospective members, but will offer 250 lift tickets per day at reduced prices for residents of Wilmington and Dover.
For VPR News, I'm Susan Keese
View article by going to: http://www.firsttracksonline.com/2011/12/09/new-life-for-vermonts-haystack-ski-area/
New Life for Vermont's Haystack Ski Area
Dover, VT - For the past six years, southern Vermont’s Deerfield Valley has been home to one ski resort: Mount Snow. The behemoth owned by Peak Resorts had years earlier swallowed up nearby Carinthia and integrated it into its own trail network, and spun off nearby Haystack which has nonetheless remained closed. Reports have surfaced, however, that Haystack’s lifts may spin once again.
After an earlier unsuccessful effort to turn Haystack into an exclusive private playground, another members-only plan has surfaced. Vermont Public Radio is reporting that Connecticut businessman Jim Barnes, owner of the Hermitage Inn in West Dover, purchased the Haystack ski area and golf course in October for $6.5 million and plans to reopen the ski area, with runs spilling right to the Hermitage’s door.
Barnes’ members-only plan includes 450 planned homes and condos with prices starting at $650,000. He hopes to have the ski area open on weekends beginning later this month, although the slopes will be open only to prospective members and residents of Wilmington and Dover, to whom Barnes will offer 250 lift tickets per day at reduced prices.
by Mike Eldred Deerfield Valley News
WILMINGTON- Could Haystack Ski Area become the next Jay Peak? It might, if Haystack developers can get their hands on the same goose that laid Jay Peak’s “golden egg.”
Haystack officials announced this week that they’re aggressively pursuing the same EB-5 visa program that has pumped more than $250 million in foreign investment into Jay Peak. The federal “immigrant investment program,” administered by the state of Vermont, was created in the early 1990s to stimulate the economy through foreign investment. Under the program, foreign nationals who invest a minimum of $500,000 receive permanent residency (commonly called a “green card”), along with their spouse and children. The investment must create or preserve 10 jobs, and investors can live and work anywhere in the United States.
In Vermont, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development EB-5 Regional Center administers the program, and approved activities include ski industry development, manufacturing, information technology, professional services, education, and health care.
Since 2005, Jay Peak has funded an ambitious expansion through several EB-5 investment phases, raising more than $250 million from more than 500 investors from 56 countries, according to Jay Peak President William Stenger in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Stenger said the program has created more than 2,000 jobs, and will create another 2,000 jobs over the next two years.
So is Haystack a good candidate for the program? Haystack’s Bob Rubin says it is. He and Haystack owner Jim Barnes have hired a team of consultants with experience in the EB-5 program. Rubin says Haystack meets the program requirements, including the number of jobs that will be created at the resort, outside the resort, as well as the jobs created during construction and after construction. The team must prepare a study that includes the job numbers as well as cost projections and revenue. “It’s complicated, but doable,” Rubin said. “We have all the elements we need to present an excellent package to the program.”
One of the EB-5 projects that added to Jay Peak’s recent success was their new water park, and in Haystack’s second surprise announcement this week, Rubin said plans for a Haystack water park are on the drawing board. “Ski areas that have invested in water parks have enjoyed excellent success,” said Chris Shaddock, director of membership at Haystack Club. The proposed indoor/outdoor water park would be a four-season attraction, and the plan is to build the park on the site of the old “new” base lodge in front of the Hayfever lift.
Although Haystack is building a private ski club in accordance with their original purchase and sale agreement with Mount Snow, Rubin says some Haystack amenities may be open to the public, just as the Haystack Golf Club is now.
But Haystack developers remain enthusiastic about the resort’s private club aspect, as well. Shaddock says the concept appeals to a certain “niche” buyer – someone who’s looking for a top-notch skiing experience without the crowded slopes of the public resorts. He equates it to a private country club or yacht club. “All other popular ski resorts have some private entities, but Haystack is going to be a private, gated community,” Shaddock says. “We want the people who are looking to avoid the masses.”
Shaddock says Haystack Club will offer a piece of southern Vermont to about 1,500 of the 60 million people within a five-hour drive of Haystack. They’ll have access to almost 1,000 acres of Haystack holdings, including the Haystack Golf Club, and the Hermitage. Shaddock says Barnes continues to add new properties. The huge property includes hiking and biking trails, snowmobile trails, and “secret” fishing spots.
Jill Adams, who recently joined the Haystack team, says the 1,500 new second-home owners will provide a tremendous boost to the community. “Just think how 1,500 new people will impact our economic development,” she says. “And second-home owners love to support the local economy.”
Rubin says Haystack also supports local businesses whenever possible, and has used local products and labor in their recent construction. They recently finished their membership center and three other townhouses in the building that was partially completed before work halted in 2007. In October they started work on their second building.
Shaddock says the club is closing in on its 10th member since sales opened last month, but he expects it to “snowball” once the ski season is up and running. “We need snow, and when we get it, people are going to come here,” he says. “They need three inches in their backyards to believe we have a foot.”
Haystack hopes to be open for skiing on Friday. Under their purchase and sale agreement, Haystack can sell up to 250 tickets a day to local residents, and they’re hoping the locals will come and use the mountain. “We need them to come help us with day ticket sales,” Rubin says. “We want to invite Wilmington skiers and we hope they come along with our buyers.” Prospective buyers can also ski the mountain as part of the tour when they visit the sales office.
Although Shaddock says the team has been “doing our snow dance,” they’re also looking at more reliable methods for supplementing Mother Nature.
The resort has purchased about 25 new, efficient, fan guns to supplement the old snow guns, which will still be part of the resort’s snowmaking system for now.
Other new equipment includes a brand new Pisten Bully dubbed the “Haystack Catallac” which, in addition to grooming, will ferry passengers to and from the Hermitage. The Hayfever lift has been substantially renovated, and Rubin says Witches is next on the list. “In five or six weeks, people will be able to ski the Witches,” he says, referring to some of the mountain’s more challenging terrain.
Other projects that will get underway in the next several months include a new lift, a base lodge, and a new maintenance building. Rubin says Haystack has a “team of experts” working on all aspects of the development.
“The best part of this is, the whole region is going to benefit,” says Shaddock. “People have an opportunity to be part of this at different levels, whether as a member or someone who has a full-time, year-round job.”
Read more: Deerfield Valley News - Haystack to open Friday eyes foreign investment program
To view article go to: http://www.dvalnews.com/view/full_story/17301532/article-Ski-area-opens-with-a-bang?
DOVER- On Saturday, January 28, Haystack Mountain will officially reopen with an extravagant Winter Festival that is entirely complimentary to the public. Sponsored by Haystack Club and hosted by The Hermitage, this celebration will take place from 8 am to 4 pm and will conclude at 7 pm with fireworks on The Hermitage lawn.
There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 am at the base of the mountain, and immediately following, guests will enjoy a full day of complimentary skiing and snowboarding. Back at The Hermitage, festival attendees will have complete access to the day’s wide array of activities and offerings, which include: snowmobiling, horse-drawn sleigh rides, tubing, skating, cross-country skiing, and much more. Face-painting and a kids’ activity tent will be geared for younger family members, while live music, massages, and cuisine from the executive chef will be available for the mature crowd who are looking to be wined and dined.
Haystack and The Hermitage also view this as an opportunity to celebrate the valley’s rise above Irene’s devastation that took place only a few months ago. As such, community businesses will take part in the event with outdoor exhibits offering local merchandise, much of which will be at specially marked prices in honor of the occasion.
Guests have the opportunity to RSVP, and thereby enter a drawing for a complimentary stay and dinner for two at The Hermitage. To sign up for this offer. Call The Hermitage at (802) 464-3511 or go to www.HermitageInn.com. For more information call the Haystack Club at (802) 464-7734 or go to www.HaystackClub.com.
Read more: Deerfield Valley News - Ski area opens with a bang
Written By: Christian Avard
View Article by going to: http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120129/NEWS01/701299863
WILMINGTON — The “Stack” is back.
A Connecticut businessman is taking the reins of a southern Vermont ski destination and has high hopes of turning it into a successful private resort.
The Haystack Club of Wilmington, formerly known as Haystack Mountain ski area, opened its doors for the first time in six years Saturday. Jim Barnes of East Hartford, Conn., is chairman of the board of two Hartford, Conn., businesses, FM Facility Maintenance and BroadStar Wind Corporation.
Barnes purchased the ski area and Haystack Golf Course in October from One Cornell Inc., a private investment group, for $65 million.
Barnes said his family has a special connection to the area. They own a second home in the Dover area and they have vacationed in southern Vermont for years.
One Cornell purchased Haystack in 2005 from the American Ski Company, the former parent company of Mount Snow ski resort in West Dover, now owned by Peak Resorts Inc.
Barnes wanted to purchase Haystack and turn it into a four-season resort.
In 2007, he bought a nearby property, the Hermitage Inn. The Hermitage Inn offers a variety of activities like cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, ice skating and dining.
Barnes purchased additional land adjacent to the Haystack Club and sought to connect his properties. It took three years for Barnes and One Cornell to reach an agreement.
Now Barnes is full steam ahead and ready to get the resort back up and running.
“My wife (Donna) and I have a lot of passion about this place,” Barnes said. “The whole mountain has snowmaking on it. We rebuilt one of the compressors, installed 40 new snow fans, and we’re using maximum water capacity.”
Barnes said the plan is to continue the original plan put forth by One Cornell.
Private memberships will be sold for $25,000 with annual membership fees of $4,900. The costs include skiing and golfing, fine dining, access to a spa and wellness center, and other activities.
The Haystack Club is also selling real estate holdings. Barnes said they recently completed four condominiums and another four are on the way.
The Haystack Club is also pursuing the EB-5 visa program as a means for financial sustainability. According to the EB-5 Vermont website, foreign nationals invest a minimum of $500,000 in private business ventures. In return, they receive permanent residency in the United States.
Jay Peak Ski Resort participated in the EB-5 program and secured $250 million in funding for renovations and a new water park. Barnes hopes he can raise $60 million through EB-5 to build a 160-unit lodge and a water park at the Haystack Club. According to Barnes, they are “shovel ready.”
Barnes purchased the Haystack Club shortly after Tropical Storm Irene. The Deerfield River wiped out several Wilmington businesses and homes and hurt the local economy.
Community members thanked Barnes for breathing new life into the Deerfield Valley. Donna Barnes said the sentiment has touched them both.
“This place is near and dear to our hearts,” Donna Barnes said. “The community is important to us. The more we can do the better.”
For more information, visit www.HaystackClub.com or call 464-7734.
christian.avard
@rutlandherald.com
View article by going to: http://www.reformer.com/ci_19849507?IADID=Search-www.reformer.com-www.reformer.com
Article by: Josh Stilts
WILMINGTON -- It's been a "crazy last 90 days" for the crew of Haystack Mountain but all that hard work is bound to pay off, said Haystack Vice President of Operations Bob Rubin.
On Saturday, the ski area opened its slopes to any and all who wished to see what Haystack and its amenities had to offer to celebrate the resort's grand reopening.
"We've been working like mad to get this place ready," he said. "But seeing all the people here, it looks like we accomplished that goal."
Hundreds took advantage of the ski area's free lift pass day, but skiers and snowboarders said despite the large number of people there was a minimal wait to get on the Hayfever chairlift, the only one operating that day.
Ryan Adams and Mark Allen, both of Keene, N.H., said the conditions on Saturday were better than expected.
"It was a little icy in some spots but definitely worth the free lift ticket," Adams said. "I grew up about five miles from here and learned to board here. It was nice to ride it again."
Both said they'd certainly make a return trip as there were no lines to board the chairlift.
After the project lay dormant for five years, Hermitage Inn owner Jim Barnes bought the ski area from One Cornell Inc., headed by Greenspring and Kingswood developer Bob Foisie.
Shortly after the sale was complete, Barnes and Rubin got to work hiring nearly 100 local people to start work on building a membership center and purchased 36 new snowmaking fan guns and new grooming equipment to get each of their 40-plus ski runs open.
To encourage new membership in Haystack, Barnes and Rubin have combined the ski area with the Hermitage Inn, which will serve as the base lodge at Haystack this season.
A new trail has been cut that will bring skiers and snowboarders from the mountain straight to the inn.
The idea is to build off Foisie's original concept of the Haystack Club and eventually build 450 townhouses and single family dwellings, a new hotel, new high-speed chairlifts and a new base lodge near the Hayfever lift, Rubin said.
Obviously not everything will be built at once, he said, but overtime the ski area will be capped at 1,500 skiers and riders per day, most of which will be members.
"This is a marathon, not a sprint," Rubin said. "We're here for the long haul and it's going to work."
According to the purchase and sale agreement, Haystack can sell up to 250 lift tickets per day to Wilmington residents, Rubin said.
Lift ticket prices for residents are $35 for Saturdays and holidays and $25 for Sundays. Anyone who is not a club member will have to show proof of residency in Wilmington.
Wilmington Selectboard member Jim Burke said the resort's opening is good news for residents.
"Jim Barnes is a great business man," Burke said. "He goes and creates what he wants. He's a man of vision and sees those visions through. The town of Wilmington thanks him for that."
Rubin said members of the Haystack Club will have nearly exclusive access to 1,000 acres of Haystack property, including the Haystack Golf Club, Hermitage Inn, and the ski area.
"It's truly a four-season escape," he said.
Memberships start at $20,000 per family and can go as high as $1 million, Rubin said.
Each membership will include access to the Haystack lifts, amenities at the Hermitage Inn, including access to the fitness center, tubing hill, skating rink, cross-country ski trails, snowmobile tours and the golf course.
Josh Stilts can be reached at jstilts@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311 ext. 273.
Feb 6th | Main Street and Back Roads of the Mount Snow Valley http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/30393653/detail.html Feb 13th | The Phoenix Has Risen At Haystack Mountain Article From: SnoCountry.comWritten By: Peggi Simmons
Read article by going to: http://www.snocountry.com/index.php/component/easyblog/entry/the-phoenix-has-risen-at-haystack-mountain.html
Haystack Mountain in Dover, Vt., is getting a new life and a new face.
It is resurfacing as the Haystack Club, a members-only, four-season private resort in Vermont’s Green Mountains. The best-known model of a private ski organization is The Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Mont.
The Haystack Ski Resort and Golf Club was recently purchased by Jim Barnes, owner of the adjoining Hermitage Inn, a a four-star country inn with dining facilities, a 9-mile hiking and cross country ski trail, mountain biking, snow tubing, snowmobiling, ice-skating and fly-fishing.
Club members will have access to the Desmond Muirhead-designed golf course and the ski area in addition to the Hermitage’s offerings. The inn will serve as Haystack's base lodge this season.
“The idea to develop a ‘club’ at Haystack is not a new one, having been tried six years ago. That effort never got off the ground,” Haystack Club’s Membership Director Chris Shaddock told SnoCountry.com. “The concept did lay the groundwork for us to hit the ground running, as the architectural designs and marketing materials were part of the purchase.”
Initial interest in the development has been “overwhelming,” according to Shaddock as evidenced at the Grand Opening Winter Festival last month, when it was anticipated 400-500 guests would show up. The attendees swelled to over 4,000.
Three types of residences will be available: Country Homes, Suites at Haystack Club Hotel, and Mountain Villas. It is expected to be a 5- to 15-year build-out for over 450 planned residences. Potential members do not have to own real estate in order to enjoy the club’s amenities.
Country Homes are ski in/ski out, 3-level townhouses, with 3,200 square feet of living space, four bedrooms, and four bathrooms. The Suites at Haystack Club Hotel are designed for those seeking the luxury of a fine hotel. The 1,000 to 2,500-square-foot suites feature separate living and sleeping areas, compact kitchen, and balcony. Mountain Villas are condominium style residences, ranging in size from 1,000 to 2,750 square feet, with one to five bedrooms. The open floor plan provides a spacious living room, large kitchen, and separate dining area.
Haystack officials announced they’re aggressively pursuing the same EB-5 visa program that has pumped more than $250 million in foreign investment into northern Vermont’s Jay Peak. The federal “immigrant investment program,” administered by the State of Vermont, was created in the early 1990s to stimulate the economy through foreign investment.
Foreign nationals who invest a minimum of $500,000 receive permanent residency (a “green card”), along with their spouse and children. The investment must create or preserve at least 10 jobs, and investors can live and work anywhere in the United States.
Haystack Vice President Bob Rubin says the project is a good candidate for the investment program. A team of experienced EB-5 consultants has been put together. “It’s complicated, but doable,” Rubin said.
Rubin said plans for a Haystack indoor/outdoor, four-season water park are on the drawing board. Jay Peak’s new water park has become an instant hit with guests since it opened in December.
The Master Plan calls for about 38 ski homes on two to three-acres to be built in 2012; the Haystack Club Hotel and 51,000-square-foot Club Lodge, which will include the spa and wellness center, five-star restaurant, and lounge, are targeted for 2013.
“The future of Haystack is an exciting one for the entire region in terms of jobs and visitors,” Shaddock told us.
Haystack is 2.5 hours from Boston, 3.5 hours from Manhattan, and 5 hours from Philadelphia by car. It is a long snowball’s toss from historic Mount Snow.
