Chester Bowl is excited to share the revised and updated draft plans of the expanded and renovated Thom Storm Chalet! We expect continued changes and revisions, but these plans provide the vision for the overall project.
The Chalet maintains the traditional Swiss Chalet look and feel.
The foundation of the building, including the concrete walls on the lower level of the building, is in excellent shape. Other than the foundation, the rest of the building will be demolished and gutted, with all new construction built on that foundation.
In all of the pictures, the darker outline is the existing foundation. The expansion of the footprint is on the left side of the building from this perspective, and allows for the addition of an elevator and overall more square footage. The hallways on the lower level will be widened, with additional storage space added on the lower level. The bathrooms will be reconfigured to be accessible, and the doorway system will allow for the bathrooms to be open to the public even if the rest of the building is closed. There will be an additional individual restroom on the main level.
This is where the magic happens! The main level is our main multi-purpose space where skiers, snowboarders, and summer campers spend their indoor time. The usable space will be doubled on this level, significantly increasing program capacity! The concessions stand will be moved and expanded, allowing the second stairwell to be opened up. The current concessions stand is built ON a stairwell! The elevator will give easy access to this floor regardless of a person’s mobility. Finally, there will be a deck leading off of the main gathering space, allowing people to take their hot chocolate outside to watch the park in action while relaxing on the deck!
Because of the location of the creek, road, and steep hillsides, the footprint can only be enlarged to a limited degree. That’s why the “Growing Up Chester” campaign has the Chalet literally growing up by one level! The back half of the current Chalet is used as staff space, including offices and a break room. This upper level will maintain that functionality, while allowing us to open up the main level. The window will look down to half of the main level below, and will also have views out the window to the alpine hill.
This drawing shows the modified parking and driving area, which will result in a safer experience and better accessibility. All paths will be gravel and accessible to users in wheelchairs. The bridge, which is on the right of this drawing, is Phase One of this project, and is already complete (look for a post on this site for more).
We can’t wait to turn this vision of an expanded and renovated Chalet into a reality!
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