Will snow mountain shrink?
Ski facility may be less than 350 feet
By Tim Gannon
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"It's always quoted as being 350 feet, but it might be smaller," Mr. Niven said in an interview last Thursday. "More like 200 feet."
The ski mountain has been one of the most talked about elements of Riverhead Resorts' proposed $2.1 billion project to build eight themed resorts on 755 acres at Calverton Enterprise Park that it's in contract to buy from Riverhead Town for $155 million. The 350-foot figure has been quoted by Riverhead Resorts since the project was first made public in early 2007 and is still listed as the height of the structure on the Riverhead Resorts Web site.
In fact, a press release issued last Thursday by Riverhead Resorts included the 350-foot figure.
But how tall will it be?
"The snow mountain is still being designed and its final height will not be determined until later," said Mitchell Pally, an attorney for Riverhead Resorts. "The height is dependent on a variety of factors and it may end up being smaller than the original estimate as the final design is finished."
Of course, it may not happen at all.
Anything over 80 feet tall will need a Zoning Board of Appeals variance to exceed the town height limit in that zone, and approval is not a given.
"The snow mountain is the iconic piece of the project and it would be sad if it couldn't happen," Mr. Niven said.
But if it didn't, he said Riverhead Resorts is working on backup plans, although he would not specify what they are.
Mr. Niven said LEDO International, which designs and operates entertainment ventures and theme parks, is working on the ski mountain and possible alternative plans. LEDO's projects include the USS Missouri Museum in Hawaii, the Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum in Philadelphia, the Space Needle in Seattle and the Elvis Presley Ranch in Memphis.
Mr. Nivens said 80 feet would be too small, but he said the mountain would be taller than the indoor ski mountain currently under construction at the Meadowlands Xanadu complex in New Jersey, which reportedly will be 140 feet high. That project, located near Giants Stadium, will include a shopping center, an aquarium and other entertainment ventures.
Mr. Niven said the next step in the process for Riverhead Resorts will be producing an environmental impact study, which would normally take about 18 months. But Mr. Niven believes they can have it done in about nine months, since they have already started preparing it.
Riverhead Resorts was in town last Thursday to present the town with a ceremonial $2 million check, representing the final deposit payment to the town. The actual payment was made at the end of July, and Riverhead Resorts had previously deposited $4.5 million of the $155 million.
"From this date forward, our team is committed to starting construction in 2010, and opening for the winter holidays of 2012," Mr. Niven said of the deposit.
Alexandra Lebenthal of Lebenthal and Co., the investment bankers on the project, said they will apply to the town's Industrial Development Agency for tax-exempt bonds to fund the project, but will not seek property tax exemptions.
Riverhead Supervisor Phil Cardinale said Monday that he had never been told the ski mountain might be less than 350 feet, but he said Riverhead Resorts still must submit formal applications for a subdivision from the town-owned property and for a project site plan, in addition to the ZBA application. Once those are submitted, he said, the environmental review of the project formally begins.
The Riverhead Resorts proposal includes eight themed resorts with a convention center and family entertainment center, the indoor ski mountain and an indoor waterpark, each of which will be climate-controlled and open all year long, a 90-acre man-made lake and 1,150 hotel rooms spread over four hotels along with 500 time shares associated with the ski resort.
tgannon@timesreview.com
