“ Big Sky is a really supportive community for new business owners, entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators— the sky’ s the limit.” |
|||
bring her family to look at gorgeous maps of the area, where a fishing guide can meet his customer at the café, or a Realtor ® can meet with a client in a comfortable space,” says Dominick. |
walking distance to miles of hiking and biking trails in the summer. Ski-in / ski-out living along with private lake access is a rare combination for mountain living. |
continues to evolve and grow, Middleton says the core values have not changed:“ Big Sky Resort is today what it has always been: one of the best ski resorts in the world.” |
|
|
With currently only forty percent of the community built out, Dominick, like many others, believes residents have a unique opportunity to write Big Sky’ s history.“ We get to choose what we want the future to look like,” he says. That includes building the firstever hotel in Town Center. This beautiful, contemporary space, with natural and historical elements, will be situated right in front of the town square, making it a perfect hub for visitors and their families to enjoy outdoor concerts, the town square bonfire, ice skating, and all of the restaurants and retailers. The future also includes plans to build a Big Sky Community Center for kids and families, and a permanent event center with a year-round hockey rink and rodeo arena. Plans to build much needed work-force housing have also begun, thanks to the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, funded in part by a land donation from the Bough Family, financing from the Resort Tax District, and Lone Mountain Land Company working on the project at cost. Kevin Germain, Vice President of Planning and Development for Lone Mountain Land Company, believes strongly in the project.“ Economically, business owners need great employees, and employees are one of the backbones of this community,” Germain says.
NEW DEVELOPMENT New developments at Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin are ready for the growth, responding to the influx of young families. New single-family homes built around mountain lakes, beautiful trails, and wooded hillsides emphasize the healthy, nature-driven lifestyle for which people move to Big Sky. The Timbers and Lake Cabins at Moonlight Basin are built around gorgeous Ulrey’ s Lake, giving people the opportunity to fish, paddleboard, swim, or simply take in the view. All cabins are ski-in / ski-out in the winter and
|
Just around the mountain, at Spanish Peaks, twenty-two single-family homes are for sale and under construction. These beautiful homes, called the Highlands, will also be ski-in / ski-out, and connected by hiking trails. They are also all within walking distance to the Spanish Peaks Clubhouse. Every layout and design has nature and the Montana outdoor lifestyle at the forefront, but Kevin Germain says,“ It’ s also about being environmentally conscious.” Subdivisions are created carefully to not destroy the natural environment for animals, and land planning is done to leave a very light footprint. Moonlight Basin currently has twenty-two homes that are LEED( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.“ It’ s all about creating a livable place and getting people outside,” says Germain.
As more people choose to call the Big Sky community home, Big Sky Resort is ready and excited for growth on the mountain. The resort recently announced a ten-year $ 150 million capital plan, called Big Sky 2025. Plans to enhance“ The Biggest Skiing in America,” include building and upgrading twelve ski lifts, designing new contemporary hotels, and building more ski-in / ski-out restaurants and retailers on the mountain. Taylor Middleton, President and General Manager of Big Sky Resort says the Big Sky 2025 plan is a natural response to the growth seen in the area over the last fifteen years.“ Big Sky has become a much more livable community,” he says,“ thanks to the thriving school system and amenities like a new grocery store, a hardware store, and the beautiful new hospital facility.” Middleton adds, in addition to the unparalleled ski terrain, Big Sky Resort is also focused on“ livability” for guests, which means adding a variety of restaurants, lodging, and vibrant villages across the mountain. While the resort
|
CREATING BUSINESSES, FAMILIES, AND LIFESTYLE The smart planning of Lone Mountain Land Company, Simkins Holdings, and the input of residents has created a great place for businesses to thrive. Opie Jahn, owner of Caliber Coffee in Big Sky, says he has seen huge success since he and his wife opened their coffee shop doors last winter. Jahn’ s success is not due solely to tourism either; a large part of his revenue has been from repeat local customers.“ An underlying current of the Big Sky community,” he says,“ is the support of small, local businesses.” Jahn moved to Big Sky over fifteen years ago where he started out by making pizzas at Milkie’ s restaurant. He jumped around to other resort towns but the growth and opportunity in Big Sky pulled him back several years ago. Having watched Big Sky grow so much in just ten years, he says he’ s excited to see more businesses open up that are supporting year-round residents and their families.“ Big Sky is a really supportive community for new business owners, entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators – the sky’ s the limit.”
Heather Morris, mother of four, agrees with Opie. She and her husband had their first date in 2000 in Big Sky and fell in love with the community. They could see the growth and business potential and decided this was where they wanted to raise a family. They love the supportive school system and outstanding teachers, a large reason why they chose to stay permanently. From the accredited preschool and recently-built elementary school to the high school, all children in Big Sky are receiving nationally acclaimed, quality education.“ And I love that everyone in town knows my children,” Morris says.“ They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it takes the entire village of Big Sky to raise my children,” she jokes. When she’ s not
|
Opie Jahn, owner of Caliber Coffee in Big Sky, serving up coffee and entertaining customers.
busy running her children around to their activities, as Moonlight Community Foundation Chairperson, Morris helps distribute financial donations to organizations in the community. The foundation, which is supported by generous Moonlight homeowners, members and supporters, has recently donated to the Gallatin River Task Force to support the local river; HATCH, an organization dedicated to inspiring and mentoring our future leaders; and the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center.
Morris says the new Big Sky Medical Center has also been a great addition to the community.“ Our family has had to, unfortunately, take advantage of the Medical Center on numerous occasions. We are so thankful we don’ t have to drive into Bozeman anymore for medical attention.” Before the medical center existed, the closest medical facility was 50 miles away in Bozeman. Since the opening in 2015, the new center, an affiliate of Bozeman Health, now has five doctors, a pharmacy, and a physical therapy center. The medical center, the thriving businesses, and the outstanding schools allow many people to live in Big Sky year-round and enjoy the reason many chose to live in the Rocky Mountains: nature. From downhill and cross-country skiing, to snowshoeing, mountain biking and hiking,
|