Tenney Mountain Receives Planning Board Approval for Lodge Project
The estimated $30 million construction project could commence next spring.
Sunday, April 9, 2023, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
Tenney Mountain Lodge Plan
The revitalization of Tenney Mountain cleared another hurdle a few weeks ago, as Northcountry Development Group received conditional approval from the Plymouth Planning Board for a major upgrade to its base lodge.
Steven Kelly
A team including Northcountry Development Group owner Steven Kelly, Northpoint Engineering, and Michael Bouchard presented plans to the Plymouth Planning Board on March 16.
Tenney Mountain Lodge Plan
Multiple local homeowners complained about the condition of the roads, which Northcountry and Plymouth Planning Board members noted is not controlled by the resort. Kelly added that the resort had "a lot of inheritted sins, including the roads, but also on the mountain," but will "have a road plan worked out as quickly as possible." An estimated two miles of deteriorating roads around the area are controlled by the Tenney Mountain Association, which hopes to work with the resort on the infrastructure.
Tenney Mountain Lodge Plan
A $30 million price tag for the lodge was mentioned multiple times at the hearing, with Kelly adding that, "we're not sparing any expense."
Tenney Mountain Lodge Plan
Dating back to the 1960s, the existing lodge is located uphill from the parking lot and chairlifts and is 14,889 square feet. Under the conditionally approved plans, the structure would be expanded to 22,259 square feet and would include additional kitchen and restroom space. A glass elevator tower would be constructed to provide handicap accessibility from the parking lot. New bridges would be constructed to connect the lodge to the elevator and to the slopes.
Tenney Mountain Lodge Plan
According to Kelly, the group invested $1.25 million in snowmaking improvements for the 2022-23 reopening, and has other significant plans for the resort and property. Kelly noted that his construction business will be able to build the lodge and complete other projects, such as installing ski lift towers. He added that, "we're gonna be the resort that people from the west fly out here to ski because we're gonna be that cool a resort."
Citing long lead times for key equipment due to supply chain issues, Kelly plans to break ground on the lodge construction in April 2024.
Tenney Mountain Lodge, February 2023
Located just west of Plymouth, Tenney Mountain first debuted with lift service in December 1960. A Stadeli double chairlift was installed in 1964, serving 1,285 vertical feet.
Northcountry Development Group acquired the property from Tenney Mountain Development Group via quitclaim deed for $6.125 million on April 19, 2022. The company is affiliated with Timberline Construction of Canton, Massachusetts. The company has experience in building hotel, housing, science, and technological developments.
Idle since the COVID-19 shutdown, Tenney Mountain reopened for skiing on February 10, 2023 and closed for the season on April 2. The resort's bar and grill remains open.
