Update 3/27/2024: Tenney Mountain still plans to build a new lodge but will focus on other projects first, meaning that these plans have been delayed. The information below is from April 2023.
For the first time in decades, the future of Tenney Mountain is looking bright. After spending $1.25 million on snowmaking improvements, they reopened the mountain for the 2022-23 season. After a successful revival, they’re planning to make some major upgrades.
New England Ski Industry reports that the Plymouth Planning Board approved a $30 million upgrade to their current base lodge. While the current lodge isn’t bad by any means, it’s not ADA accessible and is located uphill from the parking lot and Eclipse chairlift.
The current base lodge, which is 14,889 square feet, was built back in the 1960s. The lodge will be expanded to 22,259 square feet, add more kitchen and bathroom space, put in a new skier bridge that will connect to the lift, and a glass elevator tower will provide easier access. They are aiming to start construction next April, with a projected opening during the 2024-25 season.
If you’re wondering how a fledgling ski resort is going to build a $30 million base lodge expansion, welcome to the party, pal! Tenney is now owned by North Country Development, which is affiliated of Timberline Construction. They have built a variety of projects in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, so they have the construction experience to complete a project of this magnitude.
A major concern that residents had is over the roads that lead up to the base lodge. I drove around there in February, and that was one of my key takeaways. This becomes especially challenging during snow storms, making emergency services trying to get up there face a slow and treacherous journey. There is fear that after another active ski season and once construction crews begin work next spring, the road will get infinitely worse.
The irony to these complaints though is that the ski resort doesn’t manage the roads, as it’s actually run by the Tenney Village Condominium Association. The ski resort wants to work with the Association to fix the roads but also wants to make sure that they take the time to analyze how to properly fix it, in order to not have the potholes emerge in the future. The ski resort and condo owner’s association will have to work through analysis and old, poorly written documents to solve this issue.
The ownership group also said that more projects are planned in the coming years, so we’ll keep you posted on Tenney Mountain’s latest developments.
Image Credits: Tenney Mountain
