INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ACADEMY EYEING MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ACADEMY EYEING MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

Town & Ski Resort in preliminary discussions with NLI-Springbok to bring a sports academy & college preparatory school to Mountain Village

MOUNTAIN VILLAGE, COLO. – August 26, 2013 – The Town of Mountain Village is working with representatives of The Next Level Institute -Springbok International School & Sports Academy (NLI-Springbok) and Telluride Ski & Golf Company (TSG) on the right location for a winter sports academy and college preparatory school for up to 500 student-athletes. The school, along with athletic fields and a recreation facility, would be located in Mountain Village. According to NLI-Springbok, it is in the midst of narrowing its search for its winter campus location; Mountain Village is competing with Park City, Utah, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

NLI-Springbok began preliminary discussions with the Town of Mountain Village earlier this year and have worked closely with town officials to identify sites for the planned school, dormitory and recreation facility, which will be among the best in the state. Based on preliminary estimates, the NLI-Springbok Winter Sports Academy and College Preparatory School could potentially generate $30,000,000 of sustained economic development to the Telluride Region on an annual basis, and would create in excess of 75 new, full-time jobs.

In addition to the student-athletes attending the academy during the traditional academic year, from September to early June, the summer months will see an influx of summer students and family members who will ultimately provide economic stimulus to the region on a year-round basis.

“The opportunity to locate a world-class sports academy and its related recreational facilities in Mountain Village would be a great addition to our community,” says Mayor Dan Jansen. "We are working with the developer to see if the project is viable and if so, the community would get a world-class, year-round recreation facility without public investment. This will provide an economic development boost to the region, and specifically Mountain Village. We are doing everything we can to see if Mountain Village and the Telluride area is the right choice for their winter sports academy."

The planned recreation facility, a long-time need for the region, will house a full ice rink, indoor tennis courts, basketball court, a track and field area, indoor and outdoor fields, aquatic center, climbing wall, and a bowling alley, among several other amenities. The recreation facility will be owned and operated by the NLI-Springbok, and would be open to the public and regional visitors through annual, weekly and day passes.

Eric Wells is the director of development for NLI-Springbok’s Winter Operations. According to Wells, the recreation facility will also benefit local sporting clubs, like Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club and Telluride Soccer, by providing year-round training resources. He said local clubs like these will also grow in membership due to the additional student population.

“We see this as a great opportunity to create a very positive economic, social and cultural impact for the region on a long-term basis,” Wells explained. “We have been meeting with Mayor Dan Jansen and his team along with members of TSG for the past few months to see if we can make our plans work in Mountain Village. As of today, no decision has been made as to where we will locate our winter academy operations.”

Michael Martelon is the CEO and president of the Telluride Tourism Board. He said if NLI-Springbok chooses Mountain Village, the international resort destination marketing impact would be significant.

“Initial estimates put the international segment of the student body in the 25 percent range. Ultimately, that means 375 domestic and 125 international ambassadors of the region; add to that, the family and friends of those students and our word-of-mouth marketing starts to see some traction,” Martelon said. “There is simply no stronger marketing than word-of-mouth. An academy of this sort can be a major game-change for our destination and a tremendous boost for our marketing resources.”

NLI-Springbok is an international baccalaureate and advanced placement-accredited world-class college preparatory school for grades 7-12, delivering a collaborative, innovative and character-based learning environment through both an in-class and online educational model along with an interactive educational gaming model and athletic training and facilities. The mission of the not-for-profit NLI-Springtbok is to provide a world-class environment where student-athletes of all nationalities and skill levels can learn, grow, compete and succeed at their highest educational and athletic level.

The main NLI-Springbok campus will be located in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and its Far East Extension Campus will be located in Eugene, Oregon.

For more information, please contact Telluride Real Estate Corp. at 970-728-6655, info@telluriderealestatecorp.com or visit www.telluriderealestatecorp.com.