Planned Ski Area Real Estate Development Heading To Auction
Tupper Lake, New York — One of the most ambitious Northeast ski area real estate developments could become a reality if it finds the right owners.
The Adirondack Explorer reports that the 5,800-acre land parcel next to Ski Big Tupper is heading to auction. The 5,800-acre plot was once envisioned as the site of hundreds of second homes. It would also have revived the Big Tupper ski area, added new hiking trails, and reopened the marina. It cleared a major hurdle with local approval in 2012, which would likely transfer to the new owner. However, litigation over missed payments by the last owner (Preserve Associates) to creditors has delayed the sale. While a new owner could restart the project, there is also debate on whether the authorizations to develop the land have lapsed.
Interestingly, a current mortgage holder for the land is a possible contender. Stanley Rumbaugh has a mortgage on the land and could bid on it. He has been in talks to help reopen the New York ski area, which is on a separate plot of land and is owned by someone else.
What complicates matters is how much the new owner will owe creditors. Rambaugh, who has a mortgage on the land to be auctioned, is owed more than $10.58 million, while the county is owed over $1 million in missed payments.
The auction is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the Franklin County Courthouse.
History Of Ski Big Tupper
First opened in the 1960s, Big Tupper has had an up-and-down history. Numerous owners came through but ultimately failed to make Big Tupper a viable long-term business. In its heyday, the ski area featured around 30 trails, five lifts, and a vertical drop of around 1,150 feet. The full ski area hasn’t operated since 1999, but thanks to volunteers, the ski area briefly reopened from 2009 to 2015.
They also faced challenges, like finding funding, which kept them closed for the 2012-13 season. However, they raised funds to temporarily reopen after allowing Michael Bay & Paramount to film a scene there for the 2014 “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, volunteers tried to reopen the mountain for a couple of seasons after that snowy winter of 2014-15 but were unsuccessful for various reasons.
New investors bought the ski area in 2024. Their goal reportedly is to develop high-end residences on the land. They have also helped build up the local community by reopening the old Trails End tavern in town. How they and Rumbaugh would work together to revive the ski area still remains unclear.
It’s uncertain whether the new investors have their own reopening plans for the ski area, as they have been relatively quiet since the 2024 purchase. A rebuild would likely cost millions because they would need to install snowmaking infrastructure and potentially new lifts. Ultimately, a revival of Big Tupper still seems years away, if possible at all.
Image/Video Credits: SkyEye Aerial Imaging, Skimap.org
Leave a Reply