The latest estimate to build a 17,000-square-foot chalet at Winter Park & Nordic Center in Minocqua pegs the cost at $3.3 million.
Chalet proponents hope to pay for it through donations and benefactors’ gifts. Melody Hamlin, an architect from Wausau office of Becher Hoppe Associates, presented the updated costs Tuesday, June 28 to a working group comprised of the Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation representatives, who oversee Winter Park operations, and Minocqua Public Works Director Mark Pertile.
The $3.3 million price tag includes $292,000 in contingency for unexpected issues. It does not cover costs of furnishings, such as tables, chairs, desks and kitchen equipment. As proposed, the new chalet triples the square footage of the current chalet. Pertile said the layout and cost estimate are “preliminary” in nature but the foundation will use them for fundraising purposes. There’s been no action taken on the proposal except for hiring Becher Hoppe to develop those preliminary plans and construction cost estimates. The town and Winter Park are sharing that cost.
The Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation board not only wants to increase the number of cross-country skiers at Winter park, but also believes summer opportunities for usage such as hiking, biking, concerts and wedding destinations are all possible revenue streams. They plan to tear down the current 60-year-old chalet, long plagued with inadequate room to accommodate users, especially ski tournaments. The new chalet would be built in the same location.
Pertile’s tentative timeline walks the project to the planning commission, town board and the electorate this fall. The project needs approval by the latter two. Also needed is an agreement between the town and the foundation on a long-term lease of Winter Park.
With that in hand the foundation would begin fundraising followed by hiring of an architect and engineer to create final plans and building specifications. The interior layout, roofline, materials and size of the chalet could all change depending on funding levels and donors. As envision by the committee, the foundation’s fundraising campaign would take place from late 2016 to spring of 2018.
Depending on the amount of money raised, construction bids would be let out in late 2018 with construction from March 1, 2019 to the following December.
