Consultant's plan says Eaglecrest should publicly address its canceled gondola

A consultant's strategic business plan for Juneau's Eaglecrest Ski Area recommends that the ski area publicly address its canceled pulse gondola. The Eaglecrest Board of Directors reviews the plan at its annual retreat at 5 pm Thursday, Nov. 5.

SE Group's Eaglecrest Strategic Business Plan says confidence in the ski area's management has been damaged. It names the gondola outcome as the most frequently cited cause and calls it a $12.2 million write-off at a ski area with about $2 million in annual revenue. Participants also pointed to inconsistent communication, limited public outreach and the ski area's past practice of blocking critical local accounts on social media.

The plan says new General Manager Julie Piper should explain the outcome, the lessons learned and the changes made by year's end, through her community engagement and the adopted Annual Business Plan.

The Juneau Assembly voted 8-1 on May 18 to authorize negotiations ending the revenue-sharing agreement with Goldbelt and approved up to $12.2 million to repay Goldbelt's $10 million investment plus interest.

Eaglecrest ended fiscal 2026 covering 43% of its expenses with operating revenue, down from 74% in fiscal 2022. The plan's central premise is that the ski area must first stabilize and strengthen its core winter business before making large summer investments.

The plan also recommends that Eaglecrest describe what Goldbelt Aaní, the proposed Douglas Island cruise dock, would mean for the ski area without advocating an outcome in permitting. The state's comment period on Goldbelt's proposed tidelands lease runs through Nov. 23.

At the retreat, the board also plans to set winter revenue and cost recovery targets, summer business strategies and capital project goals.