The one certainty is everything will change and we will need your cooperation. The ski are… Buy Now COVID-19 and the risk of viral contamination have fundamentally changed the recreation industry and we have been planning accordingly. Season passes for the 2020-21 ski season at Bousquet are now available at bousquetmountain.com. He also partnered with General Electric’s Pittsfield Plant to outfit the mountain with floodlights installed on poles in 1936 to illuminate runs, introducing the concepts of night skiing. Tony Dobrowolski can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-281-2755. Before it was a ski area, the property was a mink farm belonging to Clarence J. Bousquet, founded in 1932, had been listed at $3.2 million two years ago and had been on the market for 10 years, according to Sherry Roberts. Bousquet Ski Area in Pittsfield has been sold to investment firm Mill Town Capital, which intends to keep the facility operational. The Mill Town community impact fund is buying the ski area from the Tamarack Ski Nominee Trust and owners Sherry and PJ Roberts. Clarence J. Bousquet, the ski area's founder, sold Bousquet Ski Area to NYC lawyer and entrepreneur Donald Soviero in 1956. Bousquet ski area in Pittsfield has been sold to a local investment group and will be working with Berkshire East and Catamount, in a season pass collaboration. This is probably not one of those stylishly weathered signs. Bousquet met all of these criteria. "I will tell you that P.J. Share The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast. Older Headlines: Bousquet Mountain Sold - May 29, 2020; Ski Blandford Closing - March 26, 2020; Ski Areas Closing Due to COVID-19 Coronavirus - March 12, 2020; Chairlift Chatter - January 8, 2020; Massachusetts Lift Ticket Prices Up 4% - November 12, 2019; Lodge Construction in Progress Across New England - October 16, 2019; Lift and Lodge Construction In Progress Across New England - June … The ski area likely dates to the early 1940s. After more than a dozen years on the market, Massachusetts’ Bousquet Mountain sold late last week for just over $1 million, a touch more than the median price of a one-bedroom Manhattan apartment and a huge discount to the $3.2 million initial … "Our immediate plans are make sure access to the mountain and the lodge is safe and high quality. The mountain’s race team has turned out many high-level skiers, among them five U.S. Olympic competitors, including twin sisters Kim and Krista Schmidinger and Heidi Voelker, all Pittsfield natives. Located in Pittsfield, Bousquet is one of the few ski areas in the country located in a city. We're not ready to release it yet, but over the next few weeks and months we will be very transparent about what we're doing.". Bousquet Ski Area in Pittsfield has been sold to investment firm Mill Town Capital, which intends to keep the facility operational. The Springfield Ski Club sold the Blandford Ski Area in 2017 to to the owners of nearby Ski Butternut in Great Barrington. TimesUnion.com reports, the Mill Town community impact fund is buying the ski area from the Tamarack Ski … Here's what happened, Churchill: Elise Stefanik fails a crucial test, Video of Albany Capitol stabbings released by law enforcement. The ski area was sold to the owners of Ski Butternut by the Springfield Ski Club, which has owned it for more than 80 years, in 2017. In a statement, the Schaefers said Bousquet will become the third mountain in "Berkshire Pass," a new season ski pass program that will include Berkshire East and Catamount. “We know that the Berkshires are home to some of the region’s best opportunities for people to get out and enjoy the outdoors in a number of ways,” said Caroline Holland, also a managing director at Mill Town. "I just truly believe they are going to make it a destination for young families," she said. Bousquet Ski Area was founded in 1932 by Clarence J. Bousquet after his mink farm failed during the Great Depression, and was revived into a ski club. Share. "I had made a commitment when George passed that my goal was to find someone to continue it as a ski area. Established in 1932, Bousquet Mountain is the oldest existing ski area in The Berkshires. Burke grew up in Pittsfield before returning to the Berkshires from the Boston area in 2017, when he founded Mill Town Capital with business partner David Mixer. Bousquet was the inventor of the rope tow gripper which protected the arms and hands of skiers using rope tow lifts. "One of the people involved with Mill Town came to ski here a couple of years ago and reminisced about bringing his family there and the great memories that he had growing up in the Berkshires. The device made it easier for skiers to go up hills so they could ski back down. It’s plenty for us (Seniors). The developer claimed that it had reached agreement to buy the ski area, including the Mahanna Cobble tract under contract to BNRC. We are excited about the sale of Bousquet Ski Area to Mill Town. It is a historic mountain with a long legacy of innovation. Wright was 87 then, but he did indeed visit the Bousquet property. It is possible that it was called "Big Devil" after skyline since "Big Devil Stairs" is a prominent gorge just north of the old ski area in what is now … — The venerable Bousquet ski area, which was built on a former mink farm in the 1930s, has been sold to a local investment group and will be working with two nearby areas, Berkshire East and Catamount, in a season pass collaboration. Five future U.S. Olympic downhill skiers, including Pittsfield natives Kim and Krista Schmidinger and Heidi Volker, all have been members of Bousquet's Ski Racing team. The company's recent focus has been on outdoor recreation projects, providing funding for the Berkshire Natural Resources Council's Trails App development, rehabilitating the trail network in Pittsfield's Springside Park through a partnership with Greenagers, and supporting free outdoor recreation programming for Pittsfield's 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival. Some 500,000 Bousquet Rope Tow Grippers were sold wherever there were skiers. Roberts was the longtime life partner of the late George Jervas, who purchased Bousquet in 1981. 4 months ago. Bousquet was placed on the market by then-owner George Jervas in 2007 for $3.2 million. A third tow was likely added for 1937-38, while a fourth debuted for 1938-39. Keywords Mill Town has made numerous investments in downtown Pittsfield; it owns several properties along North and Tyler streets and became the venture capital partner for the Berkshire Innovation Center in October. Thirty-six hundred skiers at one area was shocking, an unheard of figure. www.berkshireeagle.com Reactions: NYSnowflake. Upgrading your space while stuck at home? "Clare" Bousquet founded the ski area in 1932 when the mink farm he operated on the property went under during the Depression. "They are going to provide us with operational support," said Mill Town CEO and managing director Tim Burke. "We think there is a great future here," the Schaefers said. Nov 1, 2020 #30 It was in 1957 that Soviero briefly engaged the services of Frank Lloyd Wright to design a four-season resort a la Sun Valley. “We are thrilled to partner with Mill Town to ensure Bousquet will be a respected skiing and outdoor recreation asset for years to come. The management of those two ski areas will advise Bousquet's new owners on capital and operational decisions and investments. Bousquet Ski Area dates to 1932 after Clarence J. Bousquet’s mink farm failed during the Great Depression, and he started a ski club there. “A significant focus of our work is to invest in and improve businesses, real estate, and outdoor recreational assets in Pittsfield to make it a stronger city and an appealing place for families and employers. Blue Chair Properties, a subsidiary of Mill Town Capital, purchased the 155 acre ski area from Tamarack Ski Nominee Trust for $1,071,000. The sale was scheduled to close today. I rode this Peloton competitor for 21 days. PITTSFIELD — A private investment group from Pittsfield has purchased the venerable Bousquet Ski Area and plans to keep one of the country's oldest ski resorts operational. Multiple Ski Areas Remain Closed as the New Year Approaches - Dec. 27, 2018 Chairlifts at ski areas in three states have yet to carry any skiers this season. Ski trains in the 1930s brought visitors from Grand Central Station and the New Haven Railroad. Among the ski area’s innovations was the rope tow gripper that protects the arms and hands of skiers, which Bousquet marketed and sold 500,000 units. You have permission to edit this article. The Schaefers have made a significant capital investment in the ski operations at Catamount since they purchased that ski area for $3 million in May 2018. Positioned between Berkshire East and Catamount, we feel that Bousquet will provide significant value to Berkshire Pass holders as another great skiing and riding option in Western Massachusetts. Bousquet Ski Area sold to Mill Town Capital; will remain operational PITTSFIELD -- A capital investment firm is purchasing Bousquet Ski Area and plans to keep the ski operations running. Bousquet is a huge part of that strategy as it encapsulates so many rich mountain activities right here within the city confines.”. 29, 2020 The Western Massachusetts ski area will be part of a Berkshire East and Catamount season pass. They were first to have night skiing. In 2009, a Berkshire Superior Court Judge removed a restriction of the sale that allowed the Berkshire Natural Resources Council to purchase 80 acres on the top of Bousquet Mountain. A home away from home – find the best, most accessible hotel for you. Later in the 1930s the area had one of the world’s longest rope tows. Bousquet also invented the rope tow gripper, a device that protects the arms and hands of people riding on rope tows. We think there is a great future here,” the Schaefers said. It was one of the first ski areas to offer night skiing when Bousquet partnered with the local General Electric plant to install lights on the trails in 1936. Five future U.S. Olympic downhill skiers, including Pittsfield natives Kim and Krista Schmidinger and Heidi Volker, all have been members of Bousquet's Ski Racing team. Has previously covered education and state government and wrote about natural resources and state government in Colorado and Maine. Mill Town wouldn’t say how much they paid for the area. A second tow was added for the 1936-37 season, as Bousquet quickly became a well-known ski area. Additionally, Bousquet will join the “Berkshire Pass,” season pass program offered by Berkshire East and Catamount. Prior to its use as a ski area the property was a mink farm belonging to Clarence J. The Bousquet ski area in Pittsfield, Mass. Roberts, who had owned the ski area on Dan Fox Drive since 1981. Congratulations to the new owners of Bousquet Mountain! Bousquet ski area in Pittsfield has been sold to a local investment group and will be working with Berkshire East and Catamount, in a season pass collaboration. The new owners also will collaborate with Jon and Jim Schaefer, who own Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont and Catamount ski area which straddles the New York/Massachusetts border near Hillsdale. A native of Spencer, Massachusetts, Bousquet served in the 329th Battalion Tank Corps in World War I, where he sustained severe injuries in battle. is being sold to Mill Town investments. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. It precedes Big Boulder (originally called Hazard), which was founded in 1946 and was sold a couple years later to become the Pocono's first commercial ski operation (and where snowmaking was first pioneered in PA). rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU. In the Bousquet lodge in 2019. You can reach him at rkarlin@timesunion.com or (518) 454-5758. 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