Tupper Lake, New York — This November, a historic New York ski area will be auctioned off.
Franklin County Treasurer Frances Perry told the Adirondack Explorer that 240 acres of property, including Ski Big Tupper, will be auctioned off this November. The four-parcel sale will also include a marina, lake access, and a pond.
In the 2010s, a developer aimed to develop the land around the ski area. The company planned to build hundreds of vacation homes around Big Tupper. Media outlets proclaimed it as “the biggest real estate development ever proposed in the Adirondacks.” Those plans failed, as the developer accumulated a tax liability of $450,000.
Over the past few years, the town/village of Tupper Lake has been trying to acquire the land by covering nearly $300,000 in unpaid taxes. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling nullified that a town would have first dibs in this kind of situation, which has led to an auction. The town is unlikely to bid in the auction but remains hopeful that it can help out the future owner of the land.
First opened in 1960, Big Tupper has had an up-and-down history. Numerous owners came through yet failed to make Big Tupper a viable business for the long term. According to NYSkiBlog, it stopped operating in February 2015 due to a lift rollback and hasn’t operated since. In its heyday, the ski area featured around 30 trails, five lifts, and a vertical drop of 1152 feet.
If the new owners intend to reopen the ski area, they will likely need to spend millions of dollars on new snowmaking equipment and lifts.
Image/Video Credits: Rick Godin Productions, FRANKLINCOUNTYNY, Skimap.org
