Perelik Super Project
(Extract from the local supplement to “24 Hours” newspaper, 15 june 2007)
Smolyan said “yes” to the Perelik super project which is expected to change the life in the Rhodope Mountains. In June the Council voted unanimously the enlargement of the resort from 2,191 hectares to 13,705 hectares in the General regulation plan. Thus there will be 217 km of ski pistes on its territory which is almost equivalent to the distance between Smolyan and Sofia. Currently all the ski resorts in Bulgaria together cannot offer even half of these runs. In Bansko the length of the ski pistes is 43 km, in Borovets - 38 km, in Pamporovo - 28km, and in Vitosha the total capacity is about 40 km.
The costs of the whole project for the future resort will amount to 417 million Euro and could be started in a month’s time but the building will last up to 10 years, said Kiril Asenov, Manager of STC Perelik plc. - the company - investor. It was chosen by the Council of Smolyan for a strategic investor after the project had been put to tender. The company is supported by the American company Gramercy, the Bulgarian Bulbrokers and Alpha Finance, DSK bank also supported the project by a letter. The American company is in possession of 900 million dollars own capital and has experience in running large projects including winter resorts in USA and Canada. The Americans will participate in the project with shares in the Cyprus registered company Shipiro Investment Ltd. 2499 of the company shares are owned by AREXIM, the company of Kiril Asenov, and the remaining 2501 are owned by the foreign investor.
According to the new concept approved in June about 35000 skiers will be able to ski at the same time down the hills of the Perelik region of the Rhodopes, Kozuyatak, the land of the villages of Mugla, Gela, Stikal, Solishta, Stoikite and Smolyan. About 15000 tourists can ski, snow board and run by the pistes.
On the described territory with elevation from 1500 to 2130 meters above sea level, snow remains for good 6 months a year. That is unique for Bulgaria!
The project was presented by the French consultants from Diejan who execute the Olympic facilities and the infrastructure of the Olympic village in Sochi. As the French specialists say the buildings in the future resort will not be higher than the trees - 2 to max 5 floors. Approval for the height of the buildings will be decided after careful consideration of the atmosphere of each village.
It is planned the total number of beds including the existing ones, not to exceed 40,000. The current infrastructure could not serve the huge project, some architects warn. That’s why the state should be involved.
Last year STC Perelik was given a certificate for First class investor by the Bulgarian Investment Agency. By certifying the project the Bulgarian government is also getting committed to help for its implementation.
An airport by Smolyan and a 100 km three-lane road to Plovdiv are stipulated to be the infrastructural help financed by the government budget. The Architect of the mega resort Prof. Dr. Veselina Troeva revealed that in Stoikite village there would be a craftsman street. A Fairy Tales Museum will be set up in Gela and the number of beds in the northern part of the village will be increased by 500. The village of Mugla will have a Museum of Milk. A lift and a golf course are planned to be built by the village.
Two more golf courses will be made in different areas. “We visited Switzerland especially to see how the golf courses are made. The natural relief is going to be used and they will be visible from the ski runs”, the investors explain.
The resort centre is going to be in the Prevala area, between Smolyan and the village of Stoikite, by the main road to Devin at the altitude of 1,600 m. Lifts and underground railway will start there and take passengers to the main ski zones. “The City” is going to offer more luxury to the wealthier tourists. Due to the forecasts for global warming in the next years the whole resort will be strewn with artificial snow blowers. The project includes about 1,500 blowers with the capacity to convert a million cubic metres of water fed by 16 lakes into snow flakes.
The concept contemplates cars to be used only to the approaches of the lowest ski zones and then the tourists to be transported by lifts, drag-lifts and skiing. 64.3% of the territory will remain occupied by forests, including 1.3% of protected areas. 86 lifts will be scattered all over the complex. From the Musayata area a lift might be put in to Greece but an agreement should be signed by the governments of the two countries.
IN NUMBERS
Area: 13,750 hectares
Pistes: 217 km situated on 650 hectares
Ski runs zones: 4
Capacity: 27,000 skiers
For the ski runs: 30-50 people per hectare
Area per person: 200 sq.m
Ski area: 60 people per hectare
Number of beds:
20,000 in Pamporovo
15,000 around Pamporovo
700 available in Smolyan, potential for up to 30,000 more
1,200 in Gela, Stoikite, Stikal, Shiroka laka, Solishta
19,200-21,000 in the main areas of STC Perelik
Catering: 14,000 places
Parking: 7,740 places
Snow blowers: 1,500
Lakes: 16
Artificial snow coverage: 60 % of the ski runs
Investment amount: 417 mln Euro
Activities and facilities: golf courses, lifts, underground railway, crafts centre, 7 cultural routes, hang gliding, paragliding, snowboarding, cart entertainment village, all ski sports, biking, hiking,
horse riding, restaurants, shops, etc
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