Ever wanted to ski in Texas? Neither have we. But a new plan from investors behind The Grand Alps Resort aims to bring a 350,000-square-foot indoor ski facility to the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie. Urban ski centers are all the rage this year (just ask Boston or Paris), but this 57-acre project also boasts a 300-room Hard Rock hotel, shops, and a movie theater.
Upon completion, hotel will have 48,000 square feet of meeting space, two restaurants, a gym, spa, pool, and parking. The developer also hopes to build a second hotel (because why stop?) or expand the existing hotel within two years of opening. The indoor ski resort will be 1,900 feet long and also include an ice climbing wall, luge track and winter wonderland play area (whatever that is). Funding for the project is coming from EB-5, a foreign investment program, and a mixture of hedge fund and capital firm investment.
Construction is slated to begin in 2015 with a completion date of 2018. Skeptical? You should be. Five years ago another developer tried to build the so-called Texas Alps ski facility near Grapevine Mills. But those plans didn't hash out because of the 2008 recession. We'll see if this round of Dallas ski dreams can come to fruition.
· Grand Prairie announces plans for a $215 million indoor ski resort with a Hard Rock Hotel [Dallas Morning News]
· Snowed In: Developer Plows Ahead with Texas Indoor Ski Resort [WSJ]
· The Grand Alps [Official Site]
· Get Stoked Boston, Indoor Ski Facility Coming Soon! [Curbed Ski]
· The Ten Ski Towns You Absolutely Must Visit This Winter [Curbed Ski]