Warm winters and financial issues have kept the slopes at the Laurel Mountain Ski Resort closed for the past decade.

Officials held what they called a “snow-breaking” ceremony Tuesday to recognize the construction and renovations that have been going on to bring back the historic resort, which has been operating on-and-off since the 1930s.

“The major projects that are being done up here include installing a new lift that will run the entire length of the mountain from the bottom wildcat to the top, expanding the number of snow making terminals, as well as some widening and smoothing of some of the trails to make them more user friendly,” say Bob Nutting, chairman at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has partnered with Seven Springs for the project, which they expect to open next ski season.  The idea is for folks to go to Seven Springs and then stick around for a different type of skiing experience.

“The wildcat slope is actually a high vertical drop slope,” says DCNR secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.  “It’s kind of the classic alpine ski experience that one might expect in Europe, so that makes it a little different than the other ski resorts in the area.”

Dunn says what is more important is the economic boost the region is expected to receive, “The tourism economy, the construction jobs, the hospitality jobs that come out of this will be significant for Ligonier, Johnstown, and the surrounding area.”

With 120 state parks, Dunn says one billion dollars is generated into Pennsylvania’s economy each year.  She hopes that by being close, folks in the Somerset and Johnstown areas can benefit from the job creation and economic surplus at what she hopes is a destination spot for years to come.