Hunter News

Ski Bowl scores $4.8M federal loan

Agriculture Dept. funds targeted at ski lift improvements
By Doron Tyler Antrim
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
Published: Saturday, August 7, 2010 2:14 AM EDT
HUNTER — The Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl is getting a $4.8 million loan guarantee from the federal government for ski lift improvements.

The loan, to be administered by KeyBank, N.A., was announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The guarantee means the government will assume the cost of the loan if the resort were to default.

The money is being made available through the 2009 stimulus package.

USDA’s loan guarantees, totaling $413 million, will support 128 projects in 35 states and territories.


The loan will help the resort in a multi-million dollar effort to renovate and relocate one of its lifts and purchase another lift.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement: “The loan guarantees we are announcing will help businesses to grow and promote job creation to promote economic opportunity in rural communities.”

Jessica Pezak, Hunter Mountain’s director of communications, did not immediately return calls for comment.

The ski resort is in the midst of completing an ambitious zipline construction project, which plans to be the highest and longest in North America.

When completed, riders will be able to use the ski lifts to travel from the base of the mountain to the zipline.

Friday’s announcement comes a day after USDA announced $3.5 million in stimulus money for broadband improvement projects in several Greene County towns.