Snowboarders Mecca Planned for Thanksgiving 2014

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — After a Physical assessment of the long shuttered Sugar Loaf resort, new owner and extreme entrepreneur Liko Smith and consultants feel confident of a Thanksgiving 2014 opening of his new Snowboarders Mecca, The RoK at Sugar Loaf. The team has completed their initial assessment and are now organizing costs and work schedules.

The 560 acre resort has been closed since 2000. The property consists of a full Ski Resort with 6 Lifts, some of the steepest runs in the Midwest, a warming hut, 2 hotels, 2 restaurants, 2 bars, conference space as well as ski/snowboard rental, retail outlets, and indoor and outdoor tennis courts as well as indoor and outdoor pools. The property also consists of various snowmobile and horse trails. In 2000, the Sugar Loaf Resort was the largest employer in Leelanau County, Michigan. The Sugar Loaf Resort is located at 4500 Sugar Loaf Mountain Road, near Traverse City, Michigan.

On October 3, 2014, Liko Smith hired Blue Water Consulting and Grobbel Environmental to begin a resort, mountain and environmental review respectively. The team along with a member of SMI (Snow Makers International) have completed an initial assessment of The Sugar Loaf Resort. After an initial review of the environmental issues and the Resort and Mountain, the team has concluded that the property is able to be renovated and re-opened along with participation from the municipal and environmental agencies in Michigan.

“The renovation and re-birth of the Sugar Loaf Resort requires vision and determination. There will be many hurdles and challenges faced by the development team over the course of this project. The resort was once a gem stone of the region; it can be again, and the opportunity to be a part of this transformation is priceless.” – says Dave Drew, Blue Water Consulting & Development

In a “colorful” update titled “Building Blocks” sent to members of his website, Smith states the following: “…preliminarily, we saw very little that would present any problem to a November 27, 2014 Opening”…he also states “Overall, the walk through of the Resort was a sigh of relief”.

Smith plans to open The RoK at Sugar Loaf- “The Worlds’ First Snowboarders Mecca” on November 27, 2014. Copies of his update and information on The RoK at Sugar Loaf can be seen at www.therokatsugarloaf.com.

SOURCE Sugar Loaf Resort