Plastic Ski Slope Complex Planned For Castle Rock, Colo

SnowSports 365 is currently developing its flagship SnowFlex project in Castle Rock, Colorado, just 25 miles south of downtown Denver. With major Colorado resorts charging up to $160 per day for a lift ticket and traffic continuing to choke mountain commutes, SnowSports 365 at Castle Rock will attract the value conscious consumer, providing convenient and reliable outdoor entertainment all year long.

The ski area and resort industry in North America has been highly profitable since business models consolidated in the mid 1990s, culminating with $7.3B direct spending at ski resorts in 2014/15 ski season. At the same time, development of new ski areas has been stagnant as environmental regulations and lack of attractive land close to urban areas make new areas prohibitively expensive. 

However, more than 50 SnowFlex synthetic snow hills have been built and operated successfully in Western Europe and Asia since the 1970’s. SnowFlex is a year-round artificial snow surface that allows for quick skill acquisition and high conversion rates from beginner to active participant.

With P3 Advisors, LLC (P3) as Master Developer, the Town of Castle Rock will be well positioned to create a unique sense of place for the Philip S. Miller public/private partnership development project. The Philip S. Miller public/private partnership development and Castle Rock Year-Round Snow Sports Center will serve as sustainable economic drivers for the local community, increase the Town’s tax base, and provide a legacy of smart planning that will serve the needs of the community for generations to come.

The artificial ski surface product being implemented at Castle Rock Year-Round Snow Sports Center is Snowflex, a product of Briton Engineering. Snowflex® is made with a premium, engineered polymer and provides the users with a skiing experience similar to snow by misting the polymer surface with water. This system has been used in several climates in the United States and Europe and can be tailored to Colorado’s unique climate range of bright, sunny days as well as windy, cold days.

Planned key features of Castle Rock Year-Round Snow Sports Center:

• 107,000 square foot Snowflex® skiing surface, including:
  • Cornice drop off at the top of the slope
  • 3 jumps: big air, medium jump and table top
  • Mogul/bump field
  • Intermediate areas: blue/green/red/black runs
  • Bunny slope
  • Tubing run
  • Counter slope
  • Depending on land constraints: half/quarter pipe, hip and spine, and/or rail park depending
• Downhill mountain bike course
• 15,000 - 25,000 square foot lodge incorporating a restaurant / bar
• 200 - 250 dedicated parking stalls with overflow parking being absorbed by the park

Imagine the ability to use your skis in August, just minutes from downtown or being able to teach your children how to ski before the start of the ski season. This is something even the residents of Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, and other well-known Colorado ski resorts can currently only dream of. This could be a reality in Castle Rock.

There are currently no artificial snow parks within the State of Colorado that are similar to the proposed slope at Philip S. Miller Park. This would satisfy the desire to create a “regional draw park”. It is conceivable for the residents of Castle Rock, particularly the youth and young adults, to visit the facility several times per week. The feature is also unique enough that residents along the entire Front Range could visit throughout the year.

However developer P3 Advisors did promise that Snowsports 365 wouild be a year round snowboard and ski facility using Snowflex opening in summer 2017

P3 Advisors is a real estate development and investment firm specializing in complex brownfield, mixed use and specialty snow sports projects that  leverage public private partnerships to deliver superior returns for partners and communities. The firm is the master developer of Miller's Landing in Castle Rock, Colorado