GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After being closed for 25 years, a once-popular Michigan ski resort is on the cusp of returning. The Leelanau Conservancy says it’s in the midst of a remaining fundraising push to revive Sugar Loaf.
The property, about 15 miles northwest of Traverse Metropolis, included a lodge, a golf course and an airstrip. The resort closed in 2000 and was bought by an nameless proprietor in 2020 who funded the cleanup of the resort and ski infrastructure.
In line with Leelanau Conservancy, the proprietor plans to donate the property to the nonprofit if it will probably increase the ultimate $1.6 million to complete the restoration.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore a place that holds deep meaning for so many,” Leelanau Conservancy Government Director Tom Nelson stated in a press release. “We envision Sugar Loaf as a place where people of all ages and abilities can hike, bike, cross-country ski, play and reconnect with nature — where conservation and community come together on the mountaintop.”
Ross Satterwhite, a consultant for the nameless proprietor, says the aim has at all times been to protect Sugar Loaf.
“Ownership feels this land should belong to the community. Its goal has always been to see Sugar Loaf preserved and reopened to the public, not developed,” Satterwhite acknowledged. “By placing it in the capable hands of the Leelanau Conservancy, and through the support of its members and the community at large, ownership can ensure that future generations will enjoy Sugar Loaf’s recreation and cherish its views forever.”
The renovated property will embody a publicly accessible path community for climbing, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country snowboarding, together with a summit pavilion to soak up the surroundings, a sledding hill, a pure playground and an outside gathering house.
The conservancy says the work can be being executed with the native ecosystem in thoughts, defending native species and the Good Harbor Bay watershed.
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The nonprofit has already raised $6.4 million towards the ultimate renovations however is placing out the decision to the general public to actually make Sugar Loaf a group house.
“More than a memory, Sugar Loaf will be a living legacy of conservation and recreation for everyone, forever,” Leelanau Conservancy acknowledged.
