Heavenly's chief executive optimistic about resort's future

Shifting tourist trends and a stabilizing economy has Heavenly Mountain Resort CEO Blaise Carrig optimistic about the future.

During a local media day on Tuesday, Carrig said that, while the economy has yet to recover, signs that it has stabilized are encouraging.

With that stability, the resort hopes to expand its presence at the South Shore, Carrig said.

"Our view as a company in these times is we're moving forward," Carrig said. "We're not static and we're not trenching."

The resort expects to begin construction of a 750-seat lodge near the top of the Gondola this summer. The lodge should be complete by early next winter, Carrig said.

The resort also plans to develop a club in Heavenly Village that would include amenities like lockers, a small spa and breakfast options. The project was put on hold when the recession hit, but is expected to move forward as the economy improves, Carrig said.

A chairlift connecting the Sky Express chairlift to the top of the resort's gondola and replacing the Galaxy chairlift with a high speed quad chairlift are the projects likely to follow. Officials at the resort evaluate which capital projects to undertake on an annual basis and do not have a projected timeline for the chairlift projects, Carrig said.

But Heavenly's attention is likely to expand beyond just the ski hill and mountain village, Carrig added.

The company is looking at opportunities throughout the South Shore, including the possibility of managing recreational activities being under-funded or cut by state agencies, Carrig said, using Emerald Bay Campground as an example.

The South Shore is undergoing a "shift in dynamics" from gaming to a more recreation focused tourist destination, Carrig said.

And Heavenly is likely to play a major role in that transition.

"We think we can be an emerging player," Carrig said. "People just see us as a ski entity, but we're much more than that."