Troubled ski resort begins upgrades, to reopen in November

LIGONIER (AP) – Major renovations are underway at a Southwestern Pennsylvania ski resort that has been shuttered since 2005.
Dozens of state and local officials joined business leaders at Ligonier’s historic Laurel Mountain Ski Resort for a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday. The ski resort is located about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
State Parks Director John Hallas says state officials think improvements will make the resort more successful than previous attempts. Plans call for a modern ski lift and improved trails as well as nearly double the snow-making capacity with a new pond.
A state conservation spokeswoman says officials are expecting the resort to reopen in November.
The ski resort had been closed from 1989 to 1999 and then several times between 1999 and 2005 after mild winters and financial problems.