Plans for restoring campus ski slopes have been delayed due to a projected $500,000 in costs.

The costs were estimated by a marketing plan created by J-Town Consulting, a group made up of UPJ students in a business class.

The primary objective of J-Town Consulting was to promote the ski slopes’ reopening as well as creating student awareness of the slopes.

A major contributor toward operation costs was a $107,000 ski lift.  Two to three ski simulators that would cost $81,180 each were included to stimulate student interest.

Junior Senator Michael Ceveris said campus renovations and the ski slope share the same fund.  He also said the ski slopes should not be the greatest priority.

“The idea ran into a financial burden.  (Student senators) would like to see lodges renovated before we make our leap.”

Ski club vice president Justin Wolfe said he was not surprised with the delay.

“It would be better if we had a lift, but we never expected them to put it up.”

The ski club makes one to two trips to Seven Springs Ski Resort a week.

“It is better and cheaper at Seven Springs.  We don’t get much money any more.”

Wolfe also brought up an idea of creating a tow rope for the campus slope as a senior project for student engineers instead of the ski lift.  The idea has not been developed any further.

Ski club member Justin Keane explained that the ski slopes were the deciding factor in his choice of college.

“I came here because of the snow.  People would come here just because of the slopes.”

Both Wolfe and Keane said they are confident that a ski lift would bring in more prospective students.