Park City Mountain, Big-D Signature and Architectural Nexus remain critical partners for the development of the new McGrath Family Mountain Center
PARK CITY, UTAH (Aug. 9, 2022) – Today, the National Ability Center (NAC), a leading non-profit organization that provides world-class adaptive recreation and outdoor adventures for individuals and families with disabilities, celebrated the groundbreaking of its $6.5M state-of-the-art adaptive facility, the McGrath Family Mountain Center, yesterday at Park City Mountain. The groundbreaking event was held on Aug. 9 at 9:00 a.m. with words shared by NAC founder Meeche White, CEO Danny Glasser and other community leaders. The McGrath Family Mountain Center will sit slopeside at the base of Park City Mountain, thanks to a historic 50-year land lease with Vail Resorts.
“Words cannot express how thrilled we are to have finally broken ground on the McGrath Family Mountain Center,” said Danny Glasser, CEO of the NAC. “This project has been six years in the making, and we owe it to our incredible partnership with Vail Resorts, Park City Mountain, Big-D Signature, Architectural Nexus and the town of Park City for their help in bringing our dream project to fruition. The new McGrath Family Mountain Center will benefit thousands of individuals and families in need of adaptive recreation and adventure programs. We are very appreciative to Vail Resorts and Park City Mountain for the donation of land on which to build our state of the art Mountain Center.”
The 9,400 square-foot, ADA accessible facility will provide a homebase for the organization’s adaptive ski and snowboard programs and will provide:
- The ability to serve significantly more people with disabilities in NAC’s ski and snowboard programs.
- Adequate indoor space to properly fit participants in mono and bi-skis. Once fitted, participants will slide on an artificial surface directly to the snow!
- Storage space for specialized adaptive ski equipment.
- Locker rooms for instructors as well as separate locker rooms for adaptive competitive athletes.
- Reception area, instructor kitchen, office, uniform storage room with laundry facilities, specialized sensory room for calming and multi-purpose rooms for training and education.
- Restroom facilities on-site for NAC participants and their families: a major upgrade from the current reliance on public restrooms, which are a short walk from the existing center.
“It is with great pride in our longstanding partnership with the National Ability Center that we congratulate them on breaking ground on the McGrath Family Mountain Center at the base of Park City Mountain,” said Deirdra Walsh, vice president and chief operating officer at Park City Mountain. “This is a significant moment to reflect on the transformative experiences and life-changing services the NAC has provided for nearly four decades, and it’s an exciting moment as we anticipate the impact of this state-of-the-art facility as they expand their world-class adaptive ski and snowboard programs for people of all ages and abilities at Park City Mountain for years to come.”
Construction on the McGrath Family Mountain Center is set to begin immediately with an expected completion date of summer 2023, exact timing will be subject to city approvals.
“We are excited that after four years of working with the NAC, Architectural Nexus, Vail Resorts and Park City Mountain this project is coming to fruition. The ‘temporary’ mountain center that was put in place over 20 years ago is long overdue for replacement. This new facility will positively impact the adaptive community both logistically and operationally,” said Mike Kerby, President of Big-D Signature.
To learn more about the project and how you can get involved, visit discovernac.org/ican. Additional details will be released as the project progresses through 2022 and 2023. For questions regarding the McGrath Family Mountain Center, email [email protected]. To learn more about the National Ability Center’s programs and services, visit discovernac.org.
###
ABOUT NATIONAL ABILITY CENTER
The National Ability Center provides world-class adaptive recreation and outdoor adventures for individuals and families with disabilities, physical, cognitive, and developmental, including competitive athletes, youth, veterans, and more. Rooted in Park City, UT for over 37 years, with an additional facility in Moab, the National Ability Center empowers participants by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through inclusive programming and activities such as alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding, cycling, swimming, rafting, archery, among others. With Vail’s EpicPromise as the National Ability Center’s largest annual community partner, NAC is globally recognized as a leader in adaptive sports. For more information, visit www.discovernac.org.
ABOUT PARK CITY MOUNTAIN
Park City Mountain, the largest resort in the United States, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah, only a 35-minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport and steps from historic Main Street in charming Park City. Park City Mountain bustles with activities year-round with 7,300 acres of terrain, two distinct base areas, mountainside lodging, thrilling adventures and more than two dozen restaurants. Learn more at www.parkcitymountain.com.
ABOUT BIG-D SIGNATURE – RESORTS AND RESIDENCES
Headquartered in Park City, Utah, Big-D Signature is part of the Big-D family of Companies, one of the largest groups of contractors in the United States. Established in 2001, Big-D Signature provides design-build and construction management services in mountain resort communities. Big-D Signature focuses on the core values – Respect, People, and Truth – while providing fanatical craftsmanship for community-based projects, resorts, and private estates. Big-D Signature has additional offices in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Bozeman, Montana. For more information, please visit www.bigdsignature.com.
ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL NEXUS
Architectural Nexus is a multi-disciplinary, people-driven design firm practicing throughout the western United States. By focusing on people rather than buildings, we design projects and create places that not only work well, but also help people be healthy, happy, and productive. Through purposeful design, people are inspired to achieve greatness and be more active stewards of the built and natural environments. For more information, please visit www.archnexus.com.
