Lodge project enters second phase

Frequenters of Ski Way in Incline Village soon will see part one of the district’s two-year $7.5 million Diamond Peak Lodge renovation project begin to take shape.
After more than a month of initial demolition and discovery work — work that saw some “surprises” within the walls of the 40-plus year-old lodge — Brad Johnson, Incline Village General Improvement District engineering manager, said the second phase of this summer’s project is under way, meaning construction has begun on the currently-gutted lodge.

“The demolition phase is 100 percent complete, and the initial construction phases are under way. A majority of the underground work is done,” Johnson said. “Right now there’s a lot of concrete going into the ground. We have very much of a shell of a building — it will be moving upward quickly. The new lodge is beginning to take shape.”

The discovery phase, which began May 1, the opening of the TRPA-mandated grading season, included razing part of the building to determine the scope of the renovation/construction portion of this summer’s work.

Although construction crews (contracted with Al Shaklee Construction) came across a few more surprises than anticipated during discovery, Johnson said part one of the project remains on schedule, meaning a renovated base lodge should be finished by Oct. 15, the end of the TRPA grading season.

“The project is still on schedule, although it wasn’t without some surprises,” Johnson said. “Most of the surprises are structural-related. But we couldn’t get a feel for (the entire project) until we got in there and crawled around and checked things out.”
Because of some unforeseen surprises, one main change IVGID will make this summer is to relocate some of the underground utilities at the site during the lodge’s renovation, Johnson said.

The IVGID Board of Trustees approved both phases of the project — totally valued at $7.5 million — at its April 30 meeting, and unofficially kicked it off earlier that day at a special groundbreaking ceremony at the site. The second part of the project, which includes constructing a child ski center and updated Best Management Practices to comply with the overall changes, is slated to start during the 2008 building season and finish during the 2009 season.

Part of that $7.5 million included $4,031,031 for part one. Fifteen percent of that was budgeted as a contingency for unforeseen problems and for miscellaneous items, such as furniture to inhabit the updated lodge.

It’s because of the 15 percent contingency — rather than 10 percent, which has become IVGID norm over the years for larger-scale projects — that the project should remain within its budget, Johnson said.

“We knew were going to find some things, but it’s not like there were any catastrophes or anything,” Johnson said. “We are anticipating some cost increases, but nothing enormous. I’m not in a position to comment how much (the surprises) cost, we are well within the project contingency, and I strongly feel the project is within budget.”

BMP work also is expected to kick off this week, Johnson said. TRPA staff is expected to be on site this week, he said, to begin initial pregrade work.