Summer Work Continues on $100 Million Transformation at California Ski Resort

As winter approaches, a Lake Tahoe, California, ski resort is detailing several new updates as it undergoes a $100 million, multi-year transformation, tweaking everything from lift infrastructure to its lodges.

Highlighted in an update from Sugar Bowl late last month was its new Village Gondola, an eight-person-per-cabin contraption that replaces a far older model known for connecting a parking area to the slopes.

The new model comes from lift manufacturer Doppelmayr and will accomplish the same task as its forebear—getting the people from their cars to the chairlifts.

Rather than only replace the machinery of the past gondola, the Emerald, Sugar Bowl noted that it’s going for a full rebuild of the entire system.

As of the latest blog post on July 28, work, which began in April 2026, was moving quickly. Several towers for the new gondola were standing, and Doppelmayr teams had finished installing the structural steel, drive machinery, and enclosure for the new terminal on the highway side of the gondola.

Because the gondola’s cabins are larger and require more space than their predecessors, the parking lot terminal building is being built anew, but will feature the “previous three generations of the Village Gondola on permanent display, alongside salvaged redwood from the historic terminals,” according to Sugar Bowl.

For the terminal in Sugar Bowl’s Village, the resort is working to adapt the building but preserve as much of its original structure as possible. 

“One of the things that makes Sugar Bowl so special is that arriving here has always felt like part of the adventure,” said CEO Bridget Legnavsky in the blog post. 

“We wanted to preserve that feeling while making the experience better for everyone. The new gondola stays true to our history, but it’s also fully ADA accessible and built to serve generations of guests well into the future,” she continued.

Sugar Bowl aims to have the Village Gondola overhaul finished and ready to rock by late 2026. 

It joins a remodeled Village Lodge with a new deck, locker room area, and updated restaurant offerings. Improvements to the Main Lodge are underway this summer.

The sprawling transformation extends to the slopes, too, where Sugar Bowl has recommitted to and doubled down on its terrain park offerings, with the goal of establishing an elite-level freestyle facility. 

Related: What a Skier Leaves Behind