Thread: Squaw expansion

There is a public informational meeting regarding Squaw Valley's expansion (excuse me--I mean Renaissance) plans at 10am at the Resort at Squaw Creek. From the material submitted to Placer County it looks like eventually the base area expansion will fill the entire surface parking lot. They say there will be parking under the condo/hotel buildings--I'm assuming for the residents. The first phase involves a 500+ car remote lot--they don't say where. I'm hoping to find out if there will be any walk-in parking for day skiers and where the remote lot or lots will be, given that there doesn't seem to be a lot of real estate available. I would assume they would have to address new parking lots in their EIR. Anyone who's interested in the plans or in being kept informed of meetings and the draft EIR can get on an email list--go to Placer County's web site. On the home page are links to "EIR" (Squaw's plans are at the bottom of the list) and "Environmental documents". On those pages are email addresses for the involved county staff.

Plans here http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments..._Overview.ashx

1400 timeshares in buildings up to 10 stories and 150+'?

Parking garage. Paid parking. Vail here we come.

Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Parking garage. Paid parking. Vail here we come.

Damn, I'm really gonna miss that homey, small-resort vibe of Squaw. It was never even crowded.

I don't get it.... How will this generate income? Currently, they can't fill the village properties, not to mention squaw creek. Build it and they will come? maybe....

Originally Posted by Powdurr

Damn, I'm really gonna miss that homey, small-resort vibe of Squaw. It was never even crowded.

Yeah, that's what I was implying. There's a big difference between being able to park reasonably close to the lifts for free and suddenly having to pay to park in a garage even further away. So you're PRO garage then?

Originally Posted by nickwm21

I don't get it.... How will this generate income?.

Summer destination and international tourism. Pool will be sweet.

Originally Posted by TahoeJ

So you're PRO garage then?

Not necessarily, I just don't get why people make a big deal of an already huge, developed, and crowded resort getting a little more huge, developed, and crowded.

Originally Posted by Powdurr

a little more huge, developed, and crowded.

It's more than a "little". I don't particuarly give a shit about squaw, I'm kinda curious how that many units will play out with other projects in greater Tahoe.

quite sad to hear about that, the valley has many buildings but is still beautiful... this will only make it less so. Definitely wont be going back there again...

Originally Posted by Powdurr

Not necessarily, I just don't get why people make a big deal of an already huge, developed, and crowded resort getting a little more huge, developed, and crowded.

I'm not. I don't really give a shit if they build a larger village and a bunch of condos. I do care about having to pay $25 to park there. That's why my comment was only about the parking garage.

That is why I don't ever ski the north shore (except for a little Alpine, Squaw, N* twice, and Homewood I guess, as well as Sugarbowl, but). This shit would never happen on the south shore (well, except for the Pit, and I guess what ever high rise Vail intends to build). Guess I better just hang out a China Peak.

It does seem silly though. Didn't everyone lose money the last time they built out?

EDIT: I only clicked on this thread hoping to see terrain expansion talk.

looks like someone from squaw went over to heavenly or northstar and figured they were missing out on some cash.

Well, I'm surprised that no one commented that they want to build a water park along with a roller coaster or some shit down Red Dog. Let's not even get into the whole high rise hotels and what not. Crazy stuff.

However do I think all this will happen, NO for several reasons. This is a typical ploy by developers, make the original plans so over the top and crazy, that people will breath a sigh of relief when the plans get scaled back. Scaled back to what the developer really wanted in the first place. Very typical.

Secondly, do they really have the money to do all this? I kind of doubt it. Like someone pointed out the village isn't full at this point and quite a few of the condo have been foreclosed on or short sold, not exactly a thriving village. So build more retail to sit empty? Oh, okay do it.

Also wait until the Sierra Club, the Legal to save Lake Tahoe, the N.A.A.C.P., the N.R.A. and every other agency gets in on the act. The stack of law suits will be tall the legal battle will go on for years.

Bottom line is skiing is secondary at ski areas anymore.

Originally Posted by Ottime

That is why I don't ever ski the north shore (except for a little Alpine, Squaw, N* twice, and Homewood I guess, as well as Sugarbowl, but). This shit would never happen on the south shore (well, except for the Pit, and I guess what ever high rise Vail intends to build). Guess I better just hang out a China Peak.

It does seem silly though. Didn't everyone lose money the last time they built out?

EDIT: I only clicked on this thread hoping to see terrain expansion talk.

I wouldn't hold your breath for any real expansion of terrain. The focus is on intermediate resort skiers and it looks like the serious money will be going into the base. Can't complain about a high speed on Red Dog though and the new Hot Wheels alignment at Alpine might open up some stuff for storm days.

you guys are funny... carry on

Originally Posted by GrumpyPilot

Well, I'm surprised that no one commented that they want to build a water park along with a roller coaster or some shit down Red Dog. Let's not even get into the whole high rise hotels and what not. Crazy stuff.

this is a different project and permit application with the county. i'm betting squaw does not want to tie it into the specific area plan to allow its approval to occur more quickly....

Squaw should rebuild the Olympic ski jump and put it to use. The ice rink caved in and is now parking lot. The foundations for the jump are still in the ground. It would be very entertaining for the tourists who don't ski to watch and would actually keep some Olympic heritage alive instead of merely capitalizing on the fact the Olympics were held there once. I've heard stories of Steve McKinney tucking the in run and holding his tuck through the air and landing back in the 70's. Too much new, not enough real history at Squaw for as much Olympic touting as there is in the marketing blah-blah.

Originally Posted by bodywhomper

this is a different project and permit application with the county. i'm betting squaw does not want to tie it into the specific area plan to allow its approval to occur more quickly....

There is an indoor aquatic center in the proposal--is that the water park or is the water park something different? And the roller coaster is definitely a different project.

^^^ i was referring to the roller coaster. I don't know about a water park, but have only skimmed things and could have easily missed it.

Originally Posted by bodywhomper

this is a different project and permit application with the county. i'm betting squaw does not want to tie it into the specific area plan to allow its approval to occur more quickly....

Yeah, I missed that part, I think you are correct. My point is only some of this is going to happen.

Holy shit. I thought the roller coaster talk was just sarcasm. But it is for real. Serious?

I like Splats idea. I can remember visiting Squaw as a kid during family spring break goes to the California road trip tour. My family is not really a bunch of skiers, so we were swinging through Tahoe and decided to check out the old Olympic site. Comin from upstate NY and having been to Lake Placid numerous times, even my parents were like WTF, this is it?

If Squaw is going to build big it's too bad they're not putting in a full size, all weather ice rink at the base. The mountains are known for winter sports, not water parks and yet there isn't a decent rink to be found. (For that matter it's too bad Truckee is voting on a new pool instead of a rink.)

While I think there's something to the strategy of over-proposing and then scaling back to get what you actually wanted (a time-honored developer's tradition), another part of me thinks they want to be Whistler 2.0 and are going to push hard to make it happen, thanks in part to Federal funding for the 2022 Olympics if they win the bid. A lot of things would have to fall in place however for that to all happen, so they'd better start working on a slush fund to bribe the IOC board members.