The Future Of Crystal Mountain
image
Our future Village – the kind of northern Michigan place for which people yearn. 

Set amidst forested hills, sparkling lakes and flowing rivers, for over 50 years, Crystal Mountain has been the kind of place where families and friends have gathered for an unforgettable northern Michigan experience. To preserve this unique character, the design of Crystal Mountain’s evolving community is guided by a master plan titled Emergent Directions

Emergent Directions - Guiding Principles
Emergent Directions is Crystal Mountain's blueprint for thoughtful, steady development to preserve and enhance the kind of northern Michigan place for which people yearn. This plan defines a 21st century pedestrian-oriented community that is deeply rooted in its northern Michigan heritage. 

“We are taking careful measures to incorporate into our plan elements of the character and history of northern Michigan, such as the smaller scale and simplicity of form, in order to fit into this up-north environment,” said Chris MacInnes, president of the resort’s development company.  

Looking Back
Recent elements of this plan include the three-story 28,000 sq. ft. Kinlochen building, completed in 2002, which houses Crystal's golf pro shop and the Nordic Center, a year-round 100-seat restaurant and pub, and 12 unique one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums on the upper two levels. Another addition was the North Face development with 11 slopes and a quad chairlift on the north side of the mountain. Between 2004 and 2006, the Park and Cottages at Water's Edge, a $13 million investment, was completed. This project includes a one-acre, outdoor water park and playground, a 32-ft. climbing wall, a 15-person outdoor hot tub,  and a 5000 square-foot building that houses locker rooms, the Park at Water's Edge activity and retail area and staff offices. The Cottages at Water's Edge is comprised of two and three-bedroom dwellings that recall Northern Michigan cottages in the early 1900s. 

New Additions
Crystal Mountain solidified its committment to healthy lifestyles and environmental stewardship with the January, 2009 opening of Crystal Spa and the newly remodeled Peak Pool & Fitness Center, a luxurious 18,500 sq. foot facility that celebrates relaxation, renewal and rejuvenation on a grand scale. In keeping with our dedication to sustainable practices, Crystal Spa is the only spa in the Midwest (and one of only six in the country) to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. 

Also completed in 2009, Phase I of the Bungalows at Crystal Glen is a slopeside, one-eighth-ownership project featuring five three and four-bedroom units built in the historic architectural style characteristic of Michigan’s Arts and Crafts bungalows from the early 1900s. 

Trailside, Crystal’s newest whole-ownership neighborhood, is a collection of clustered home sites linked by hiking and cross-country ski trails, and nestled into the woods between four holes on the resort’s signature Mountain Ridge golf course. A number of Trailside cabins have been constructed, and additional golf course lots are now available.

Planning for the Future
Additional development described on the Emergent Directions plan include:
  • A mixed-use project at the base of the Loki & Thor slopes with a new snow sports learning center, several residential complexes and an additional outdoor pool.
  • Expansion of the Inn at the Mountain with additional residential and commercial units
  • Replacement of the Lodge with a new building designed to accommodate day skier food service, with residential units on the upper levels
  • Mixed-use retail and residential development within the core/village serviced by underground parking
  • Additional on-mountain and golf course-oriented residential development; snow tubing; more ski slopes and lifts and on-going snowmaking improvements.
In summary, Emergent Directions is an evolving road map that guides the resort’s future land use decisions. It is not a static document, but rather one that is revisited regularly and updated to better fit with current conditions. According to MacInnes, “this iterative approach to development gives us the opportunity to create more sustained value over time.”  
image
A future view from the Village, 
looking toward the Clipper
image
The active north end – a new headquarters for ski school & kids programs and ski-out accommodations
12500 Crystal Mountain Dr. - Thompsonville, Michigan 49683 | (800) 968-7686