Exit133 is about Tacoma. It's about Real Estate, Politics, the Arts, Urban Development, and the interests of our readers.
Find A Job
Emergency Food Network
is looking for a Fiscal / Operations Manager
Satire-and-Spoof : Forget the Gondolas...
Downtown Tacoma Gets High Speed Chairlifts
Banking on the recent turn of the weather, Boyne USA, owners of Crystal Mountain leased 9th, 11th, 13th, and 15th Streets from the City of Tacoma to create the first urban ski resort in the world. The company’s lease of the streets will begin Thanksgiving weekend every year and run through February 28.
The new ski resort—dubbed Mount Tahoma—will make use of the steep incline of downtown Tacoma to create short runs with a variety of terrain for skiers and snowboarders alike. Boyne USA is counting on the changing weather patterns related to global warming to turn Tacoma into a winter paradise. But just in case there’s not enough natural snow to fill the streets, the company will install snow machines on the roofs of all buildings facing the new runs.
In addition to the natural topography of downtown Tacoma, Boyne USA also cited urban redevelopment as a major reason they decided to locate their next resort in Tacoma, including synergy with the Convention Center and Tacoma’s new hotels. In a prepared statement, Boyne USA, writes, “The novelty of the first urban winter sports playground will make Mount Tahoma a huge draw from around the world. We predict a huge boost in tourism.” Seattle-based John Kircher, owner of Boyne USA, suggested that Seattle-ites might finally have a reason to come to Tacoma for the weekend.
Prium, developers of the Winthrop Hotel, were re-branding the classic hotel as a ski lodge, with ski-in/ski-out service. The low-income housing currently in the Winthrop would still be relocated to the hilltop neighborhood, though now the district would be called the Tahoma Summit (or just The Summit for short).
All streets in the downtown area will be closed to traffic during the winter ski season, but Boyne USA stressed that lift tickets for commuters would be competitively priced with season ticket options available.
News analysts speculated Friday that after difficult negotiating with the US Forest Service about expansions at their Crystal Mountain property, Boyne USA was ready to look at other options in the region without the same environmental restrictions. The company framed the move around another issue, however: climate change. “With global warming changing weather patterns in our region in such dramatic ways, Tacoma’s new weather might give this new resort some of the best snow west of the Rockies. If Wednesday’s snowfall was any indication, we have some great potential.”
In a related story, the Federal Way School Board voted 3-0 that discussion in the classroom about turning downtown Tacoma into a ski resort should be “fair and balanced” and present other reasons besides global warming that might explain why Tacoma now has enough snow to host a ski resort. Reasons like … oh, let’s say, hippies.
Disclaimer: We may occasionally stretch the truth or make things up on Fridays… but only when there’s a disclaimer. Everything else is absolutely true. Trust us.
Link | Posted on 12. January 2007, 08:03
Commenting Is Closed
Comments are allowed for two weeks from the posted date. If you want to make a comment or reopen this discussion, please contact us with your request. Thank you for visiting.
I hear that a lawsuit has been filed by a group that claims to have first rights for luge and bobsled on Mount Tahoma. They claim that their fully refrigerated routes will provide much faster service over a longer period than any natural, snow based system.
1 | Posted by Rollie | Jan 12, 08:47 AM
Heehee!
2 | Posted by ensie | Jan 12, 10:45 AM
I heard that Al Gore was seen ivestigating the site in his Black Suburban this morning on S 19th or what will be known as the run “Snowblind”
3 | Posted by Eric | Jan 12, 03:22 PM
From Reuters (version prior to copy-editing)
January 12, 2007
TACOMA, WASHINGTON (USA) – In a related story, visiting IOC International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Jacques Rogge, and IOC Coordination Commission Chairman for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, René Fasel, in a sudden move, gave the 2010 Winter Olympics entirely to Tacoma. Citing growing confusion between the two Vancouvers anyway, and charmed by the friendliness of passersby in the snow-covered town that is roughly mid-point between the two, Roffe praised Tacoma and said the proposed Mount Tahoma resort “...will make the 2010 Olympics better than anything the Canadians could have come up with anyway, being a perfect example of the Olympic motto, ‘Citius, Altius Fortius’ (Faster, Higher, Stronger).” Sites are being evaluated for the Olympic Village, including Hilltop, and several old church properties that could easily be torn down in time for transferring ownership to the Tacoma Olympic Committee. Medal designs are hurriedly being studied, as are designs for the mascot. One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that leftover merchandise of the masked Roni Raccoon from the Lake 1980 Lake Placid games could be modified to create the obvious-as-hell Dale Chihuly mascot. However the trend towards multiple characters, such as Powder Copper and Coal from the 2002 Salt Lake City games have given the inside track to a series of characters named “Niki, Laura, Kelly, Kelly, and Cole.”
4 | Posted by Walter | Jan 12, 04:55 PM
Site selectors under contract with Ski Dubai had no comment about rumors regarding the development of another indoor ski facility in Tacoma funded by the UAE. According to an unnamed source, significant Homeland Security issues with freon imported from the Middle East through the Port of Tacoma may derail negotiations.
5 | Posted by Tom Waits | Jan 12, 10:05 PM
so bizarre, the timing of this. Phil Mayer zipped past me on skies today going down 15th St. In a full tuck, Blackwater coffee in hand, yelled what I thought was “Tacoma Rules!” But then he crashed face first into a guardrail and I had to get to a meeting…..
6 | Posted by Stevie James | Jan 13, 04:06 AM
L
O
L
7 | Posted by nitsuj | Jan 15, 06:02 PM
Commenting is closed for this article.