Redevelopment

Redevelopment  Plans for the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area

Since the fall of 2006 several town committees and groups of consultants have been working on a plan to redevelop the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area (home of the Camden Snow Bowl). Below you can learn more about this project and download copies of the plans, reports, financial projections and sketches that are being proposed. This exciting project is designed to update the facilities of the recreation area for sustainable community use well into the middle of the 21st century.
 

Design for a new lodge at the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area:

The Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Redevelopment Committee of the Town of Camden chose Stephen Blatt Architects of Portland to design the new lodge at the Camden Snow Bowl/Ragged Mountain Recreation Area. The committee received qualification statements from 23 architectural firms and interviewed nine of the firms prior to their decision. 

"We were fortunate to receive proposals from so many well qualified architects, including three firms from our community" said Rick Knowlton, co-chair of the redevelopment committee. "In part the large response is a sign of the economic times, but in part it's also the opportunity to be involved in a very unique project." Knowlton said that the committee came away from the interview process with tremendous enthusiasm for the next phase of the project. "Every firm interviewed told us in their own way that we have a wonderful plan for a very special place. Mr. Blatt did an outstanding job describing how his experience could help us design the focal point for the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area."

Stephen Blatt Architects is a Maine firm known for award winning designs. The firm recently completed the North Haven School and is designing a new school on Islesboro. Both projects involved combining private and public funds to create significant new community buildings. A sense of the firm's design philosophy can be found in their brochure: "We firmly believe that all good buildings begin with words. So we ask a lot of questions and listen carefully. We observe, we do our homework. Only then do we pick up our pencils. When finally built, such a well-communicated structure speaks for itself and compliments its surroundings. It looks like it's always been there."

A new four-season lodge is the central component of a planned $6.5 million redevelopment of the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area. Other changes include improved road and trail access, parking, pond access, and improvements to the ski operations such as new lifts, an expanded beginner area and additional snowmaking. $4.5 million is being sought through private donations and grants, and the Town of Camden is expected to vote on a $2 million bond to cover the final 30% of the project after the initial funds are secured. "Although our economic climate is very challenging, we have found a tremendous amount of support for this project in the community" says Bob Gordon, president of the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Foundation. "We have begun fundraising and are quite encouraged by the response we are getting throughout the Midcoast area."

If all goes according to plan groundbreaking could begin as early as the fall of 2010.

Redevelopment Plans for Download

Sustainability Plan 
Project Cost Estimate
Project Cost Estimate notes

Projected Budgets for the Redeveloped Recreation Area:
Condensed Income & Expense
Projected Income
Projected Expenses

Horizons Engineering Camden Snow Bowl Ski Area Concept Plan:
Ski Area Concept Plan

Horizons Engineering Long Range Feasibility Report
Long Range Feasibility Report

DeWan Associates Concept Plan - Summer Sketch
summer concept plan

DeWan Associates Concept Plan - Winter Sketch
winter concept plan

 The Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Foundation and the Ragged Mountain Redevelopment Committee are dedicated to developing an all-season facility at the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area that will serve the community, utilize our natural resources, and serve as a catalyst for expanded economic opportunities.

Click below to download RMRAF brochure
RMRAF Brochure

Join Our Newsletter List to Learn More about Upcoming Progress Reports

As the redevelopment project progresses in upcoming months public presentations will be made to show the plans and explain the status of the project. Please join our electronic newsletter list to hear about those upcoming presentations and to learn how you can get involved and contribute to the project. The link to the newsletter is on the left side of this webpage.