"Do nothing, in my mind, is not an option," Trustee Mick Homan said when the IVGID Board took up the future of Diamond Peak's mid-mountain lodge on March 25, according to the Tahoe Daily Tribune. Seven months later, the district has spent money on exactly one thing: a design study. The large dollar figures going around town describe options, and none of them is an approved project. The decisions with real costs attached come in spring 2027. Until then, the Snowflake Lodge built in 1966 opens for another season with the same problems it had last year.
A Seating Shortfall the District Has Measured Since 1987
The case for replacing Snowflake rests on capacity, and it predates nearly everyone now arguing about it. The 1987 Ski Incline Master Plan put the resort's seating need at 740 seats. At the time it had 300 at the base and 56 inside Snowflake. That plan called for three new food facilities, including a 6,500-square-foot lodge at the top of the Crystal lift. None was built.
In 2015, an update prepared with SE Group found the resort short about 566 seats compared with industry benchmarks. Roughly 380 of that gap was at Snowflake alone. The update also concluded that "the current Snowflake facility is not achieving anywhere near its potential." TRPA never approved that update. The 1987 plan is still Diamond Peak's official planning baseline.
The numbers today look much the same. Diamond Peak has around 500 food-service seats, less than half the benchmark. Benchmarking in 2024 and 2025 put resort-wide food and beverage revenue at 59% of comparable resorts. The building has its own problems on top of the seat count. IVGID's September status update lists them:
- No kitchen, so all food is made at the base and carried up the mountain
- No fire suppression, alongside an outdated electrical system
- Bathrooms that do not meet current code
- Deck support columns that need replacement
- Recurring roof leaks, even though the roof was redone a number of years ago
Trustee Dave Noble has written that because the building falls so far short of code, adding on or remodeling isn't feasible. Once walls are opened, he says, the cost of bringing it up to code would be prohibitive. That is why the discussion moved from whether to replace the lodge to how big the replacement should be.
Four Sizes, Four Price Tags
IVGID hired SE Group in 2025 to run a needs assessment. It produced four planning-level options, ranging from a lodge used only on winter ski days to one open year-round.
| Option | Square footage | Event capacity | Capital cost estimate | Projected operating income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, "Minimum," winter only | ~9,600 | None | $28,354,000 | $195,000 |
| 2, "Medium," limited off-season events | ~10,000 | 120 | $29,929,000 | $1,031,000 |
| 3, "Medium Plus," multi-season | ~11,600 | 150–175 | $35,349,000 | $1,747,000 |
| 4, "Maximum," full year-round service | ~16,500 | 250–275 | $49,647,000 | $2,990,000 |
The table explains where the board landed. Moving from Option 1 to Option 2 adds about $1.6 million in construction cost and raises projected operating income about fivefold, because a lodge that can host events earns money outside ski days. IVGID's account says trustees treated Options 1 and 4 as the "bookends" not worth pursuing. Most leaned toward Option 2, Option 3, or a "2.5" hybrid between them.
If you followed the spring coverage, these figures may not match what you remember. The Tahoe Daily Tribune reported early estimates of about $29 million, $31 million, $44 million and $62 million. Its figures counted Ridge Run trail work in every scenario and a new chairlift in the two larger ones. IVGID now treats the trail and lift work as separate projects, each with its own review, so the two sets of numbers can't be compared directly.
What $811,332 Bought on September 23
On September 23, the board voted 3-0 to approve an $811,332 contract with CCY Architects. Trustee Ray Tulloch abstained. The contract covers a 26- to 28-week, 3,500-hour design phase involving eight consulting firms. Incline Village News reported the same vote. Project Manager Bree Waters told the board that the phase covers schematic design and community engagement only. It does not commit the district to building anything or to any financing plan.
The study starts from preliminary targets: an approximately 11,600-square-foot lodge, 3,500 square feet of deck, 160 indoor seats, 175 outdoor seats, and room for an event of about 120 people. IVGID describes these as targets to be tested and refined, not a final design. That is Option 3's square footage with Option 2's indoor seating and event capacity, which is roughly the "2.5" hybrid trustees talked about in the spring.
Disputed numbers have circulated since then. At the September meeting, two trustees criticized an independent community survey that included a $4,600 per-parcel assessment, calling its figures misleading. At the October 14 meeting, Vice Chair Michelle Jezycki repeated that the board has made no financial commitment to Snowflake Lodge and has not discussed how the project would be paid for.
Noble's October 12 explainer covers the cost side, and he presents it as his own view. He writes that Nevada's prevailing-wage requirement for public works projects over $100,000 typically adds 40 to 50% to capital costs. He also says the design team will look at cost-saving methods such as mass timber construction, and that some form of bonding is likely if the project moves forward. The district's own facility fee FAQ says major projects such as Snowflake Lodge may require facility fee revenue, and that future fees could go up or down depending on project scope. The FY 2026–27 fee is $1,530 per parcel: $1,385 for recreation plus $145 for beaches.
The Dates When Residents Can Weigh In
IVGID has published this sequence:
- November 10, 2026. The next IVGID Board meeting listed on the district's meetings page.
- January or February 2027. CCY and SE Group present the concept at a community engagement event, and the feedback shapes the 30% design. SE Group will also run a digital StoryMap.
- March or April 2027. CCY presents the final 30% design and a cost estimate at a public board meeting. The board then decides whether to move to the next phase.
- May 2027. Expected start of phase one of the snowmaking system replacement. The current system was installed between 1988 and 2002. The project carries an $8,000,000 engineer's estimate and is planned over four years. IVGID's preliminary scope calls for about 83 snowmaking locations, with cost and schedule still subject to board approval.
- May 2028. The Schoolhouse Lift is scheduled to be replaced with surface carpets, and construction of a cat track returning skiers from the GS and Oh God runs to Lakeview is targeted to begin.
The Lakeview Lift has no date. It is a fixed-grip quad more than 30 years old, and IVGID is still evaluating a replacement. You can comment on the lodge now through IVGID's public comment form, and the full record is on the district's Snowflake Lodge project page.
This Winter on the Same Mountain
None of this changes the coming season. Diamond Peak plans to open Thursday, December 3, conditions permitting. November 19 marks 60 years since the resort opened as Ski Incline in 1966. It was the first resort in the West to use a snowmaking system. Snowflake Lodge was built that same year.
This season's additions fit the capacity story. A new Get Lifted Coffee + Waffles trailer will serve the Base Area Plaza on busy weekends and holidays, and a TechnoAlpin TT10 tower-mounted fan gun and a movable TR10 fan gun have been added in the base area. Local artist Bryn Merrell designed a 60th-anniversary poster, free at Diamond Peak events and at the Diamond Peak Sports Shop in the Base Lodge.
Preseason pass pricing ended October 31. From November 1 through December 18, the prewinter adult pass is $733. For IVGID Picture Pass holders, the prewinter adult rate is $513. New for 2026, IVGID pass prices also go up in mid-December, with a new regular tier starting December 19. The $60 Deal Day lift tickets go on sale online in mid-November. They cover opening day, January 12, February 8, March 17 and closing day.
One event comes before opening and one right after. The free Pray for Snow Party, put on by Diamond Peak, Alibi and Village Ski Loft, runs November 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Alibi Incline Public House. It includes a ski film and a raffle benefiting the Diamond Peak Ski Team. The season kickoff party follows on December 5, 6 to 10 p.m., at the same Alibi Ale Works location.
This post is general information about public projects and fees, not legal, tax or financial advice. Please confirm how any assessment or fee applies to your own parcel with the right professional.
If you'd like a measured read on how district projects, fees and amenities affect your home's position, Team Blair Tahoe is glad to talk it through privately. Request a Private Market Valuation.
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