It’s officially the Outcalt Event and Conference at SLV Ski Hi Complex

File photo The new facility on the east side of town is officially the Outcalt Event and Conference at SLV Ski Hi Complex.

Name celebrates area history and large charitable donation by foundation

MONTE VISTA — Friends of Ski Hi and the City of Monte Vista announced the new facility on the east side of town is officially the Outcalt Event and Conference at SLV Ski Hi Complex.

The news came from the City of Monte Vista on the eve of the 40th Annual Southern Rocky Mountain Agriculture Conference and Tradeshow that will be the first official event held at the new building.

“The vision of this new facility has been in the works for many years, and timing was right in the last couple of years to make it a reality,” said Karla Shriver, co-chair of Friends of Ski Hi. “It has been amazing to see how the whole San Luis Valley community has stepped up to make it happen along with several other funders including foundations, local governments, and DOLA. This is a facility that will be here for years to come. Friends would like to thank all ALCON and all the subcontractors who worked on it. It truly has been a team effort.”

The people choosing the name wanted to celebrate the history of the building and keep Ski Hi in the name, according to the City of Monte Vista.

The large charitable donation from the Ralph Outcalt Foundation warranted his name at front and center. In addition, the complex was promoted as a regional facility and received regional support from many donors so adding SLV (San Luis Valley) will be all-encompassing for anyone using the facility.

The building was a want for the area for years and gained momentum in recent years as fundraising for the multi-million project began in earnest spearheaded by the Friends of Ski Hi.

“The vision behind the new Ski Hi building had been there for a really long time,” Shriver said in an earlier interview, chairperson for the Friends of Ski Hi. “This idea was there as early as 2006, 2007, the only thing that was not, was the funding. The funding really came from grants and community donations and involvement; it really just took off from there.”  

On Sept. 4, 2019, Friends of Ski Hi Park presented the idea and preliminary design to the City Council for a multi-purpose Ski Hi building, and other changes to the Ski Hi complex in Monte Vista.

In 2020, the Friends of Ski Hi along with the City of Monte Vista and Alcon Construction, officially announced that the building for the Ski Hi complex had been ordered. The $8 million project kicked off in 2020 with a local donation campaign early in the year. Within months, over $772,000 had been raised by the community to go toward the project.

The full demolition of the Ski Hi complex began and was complete in July of 2020 and, the new steel structure frame for the new building came together in January of 2021.

The 54,743 square foot building has two large, carpeted conference rooms. One can be sectioned off into three smaller rooms and the event center. A caterers warming kitchen is also available if food is needed or sold at an event.

Monte Vista Mayor Dale Becker said, "This is a milestone for our community. The building is available for all sorts of celebrations and events. The community should be very proud of what has been accomplished and what will be used for years to come."

The SLV community is invited to the ribbon-cutting on Feb. 25 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. with comments at 5:30.