Red Mountain Ventures, the developing and operating company for Red Mountain Resort, is announcing the launch of two major development projects. The company will be investing more than $5 million in two projects: the revitalization of the resort’s 110 year-old day lodge and the second phase of its Caldera single-family neighbourhood at the base of the resort.
Revitalization of Day Lodge:
The final stages of design are underway for the restoration of the existing 17,000 square-foot day lodge. The revitalization efforts will also include the addition of approximately 7,000 square feet of new skier services. The services will include equipment rental, retail space, guest services, lift-ticket box office, day lockers, general store, wine bar and a four-season conference centre. Completion is expected in December 2010.
“This development will preserve a piece of history by upgrading the existing 110-year old lodge and likewise, jumping into the 21st century with a new and modern skier service centre and conference centre.” says Howard Katkov, president and CEO of Red Mountain Ventures.
Red Mountain Resort – the oldest ski resort in Western Canada – was purchased in 2004 by business investor Howard Katkov and a group of ski enthusiast investors. Since the acquisition, Red Mountain Resort has undergone more than $57 million in renovations, including new and upgraded lifts, mountain expansion and ski-in and ski-out residential developments.
Residential Component:
Phase one of the new Caldera community consists of 18 lots and there are presently eight lots remaining for purchase. The single-family lot sizes range from 7,500 square feet to more than 17,000 square feet and prices ranges from $269,000 to $389,000. Caldera is the ski resort’s most environmentally sound community offering some of the most competitively priced alpine living in B.C.
In addition to the single-family lots, Red Mountain Ventures is offering The Red Haus, a 1,600 square foot home designed to maximize views, utilize natural daylight and retain existing vegetation. The home is elevated above the landscape, has ample outdoor and storage space, is completely Energy Star® rated and sits on a well-forested lot. Prices start in the mid $600s. The Red Haus was designed by Hybrid Architects of Seattle, WA and built offsite by Freeport Industries, a Kelowna-based company.
“We chose a modular system for numerous reasons: price certainty, less material waste, ability to use sustainable building materials and systems that will deliver a product with stunning architecture and great quality and integrity,” says Howard Katkov, president and CEO of Red Mountain Ventures. “With Rossland recently ranked the No. 2 Ski Town in North America by National Geographic Adventure and Red Mountain continually named one of the top ten ski resorts in North America, the Caldera neighbourhood may seem too good to be true.”
Red Mountain Ventures has constructed the forested neighbourhood at the base of Red Mountain with a comprehensive environmental stewardship plan consisting of water protection restrictions, landscape standards, building size maximums, energy efficiency and smart growth standards for development at Red Mountain.
In addition to The Red Haus, Red Mountain Ventures is designing a second modular home community in the Caldera community, named Cabins in the Woods. These homes will be built in the second phase of Caldera, with smaller lots averaging around 5,000 square feet and single-family cabins averaging around 1,000 square feet. Prices will start below $400,000.
“A single-family home in an alpine environment at this price point is rare,” says Katkov. “I am confident that this high-quality, sustainable and affordable product will make buyers excited about entering B.C.’s alpine recreational real estate market. We intend to be leaders in this market by delivering homes that fit the needs of the existing and future generations of home buyers who are looking for practical, affordable and environmentally relevant housing in great mountain environments.”
A recreational playground, Caldera will be a ski-in and ski-out neighbourhood surrounded by hiking, biking and snowshoe/cross country trails and will include a people mover (Poma or Rope tow) for the exclusive use of Caldera residents.
Red Mountain Ventures was founded with the mission of developing and operating Red Mountain Resort and the surrounding area near Rossland, B.C. with a responsibility to the environment and the community of Rossland. The organization has made a long-standing commitment to respect and uphold the unique history and traditions of the community while balancing effective and successful business management in any economic climate. Howard Katkov serves as president and CEO of Red Mountain Ventures and comes with a long history of creating and managing truly successful real estate and business ventures. Together with the Red Mountain Resort operations staff, Howard shares a vision of preserving the past while offering its visitors a unique experience that only Rossland can.