Contact: Margaret Skillicorn
Weidinger Public Relations
775-588-2412

Ongoing Regeneration Complements Natural Surroundings

(South Shore, Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.) – Ongoing regeneration continues to make a dramatic impact on South Shore. The new infrastructures complement the area’s natural attractions.

Shopping and Recreational Enhancements

Ski Run Boulevard, the main street contacting the lake and the mountain, services Heavenly Mountain Resort since long before the gondola was built, is undergoing regeneration, including infrastructure improvements and new landscaping. Many refer to Ski Run Boulevard as the local area, as the ski shops and restaurants have a motto of locals serving locals.

With its regeneration enhancements comes a breadth of fresh activity, offering locals and visitors a slower pace. Now, they can stroll along the one-mile path where there are locally-owned restaurants, unique shops, award-winning lodging, bike and ski rentals, new architecture, luxury accommodations and boutiques. Pedestrians, as well as bikers, enjoy the convenience and safety of newly completed sidewalks enhanced with lights illuminating the path.

Heavenly Village, just a few hundred yards from the Stateline casinos, has become the popular year round gathering place for locals and vacationers. Featuring a pedestrian friendly experience with covered parking and access to full amenities, the Heavenly Village highlights the traditional mountain town atmosphere.

Heavenly Village accommodates recreational shoppers and families looking for off-the-slopes entertainment with nine restaurants, five art and photography galleries, 22 shops, and four activities. The ice skating rink transforms into a concert venue in the summer; a high-tech video arcade is perfect for family fun; there’s a state-of-the-art Cinemax movie theater; and the village centerpiece, the high-speed Heavenly Gondola, whisks sightseers to 9,000 feet above sea level for Imax-worthy views of the entire Tahoe Basin. In 2004 Ski Magazine rated the gondola ride as one of the most scenic in the nation. For more information about the Heavenly Village, please visit www.theshopsatheavenly.com.

Village Center, complementing its neighbor’s architecture, is newly located next to Heavenly Village and it appeals to neighborhood shoppers and visitors. With an additional 29 retail establishments, the Village Center is a convenient place to pick up most anything on a shopping list.

Factory Stores at the Y located just off of Highway 50, opened a new building in the fall of last year. More than 18 stores in one location offering name-brand items at 30 to 40% off normal store prices makes it easy for shoppers to pick up name brand sportswear, footwear, training apparel, all winter and ski wear, and summer wear and accessories. Recently, Pier 1 and 9 West opened stores at the Y along with a lingerie boutique. Most recently, buildings, parking, and gardens have been aesthetically enhanced to showcase the area and attract warm-weather shoppers.

Current plans to expand and renovate the interior floor space at Raley’s grocery store are well underway.

Integrated Public Transit BlueGo

The BlueGo, a high-tech public transportation system that weaves previously segmented transportation services into one streamlined bi-state shuttle system. With a centralized management center to coordinate timely pick-ups and departures, riders will find BlueGo easy-to-use. It will service the entire South Shore and enable visitors to keep the car parked upon arrival. Safety, convenience, and environmentally friendly make BlueGo the way to go.

Major Lodging Renovations

Now owned and operated by Columbia Sussex, Caesars Tahoe has officially become MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa. The 440-room resort offers a wide array of sophisticated and contemporary amenities, including seven distinct restaurants, four nightlife venues, a 40,000 square-foot remodeled casino, a brand new poker room, and a luxurious spa.

Ridge Tahoe has completed a 1.2 million dollar remodel in the Ridge Club which houses The Hungry Bear Restaurant and full service spa and health club. Embassy Suites Hotel-Lake Tahoe Resort recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation that expanded meeting space, added wireless technology throughout the property, and enhanced dining service for weddings, banquets and business meetings.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort’s developments are well underway for a master plan community, including luxurious housing accommodations and a new multi-use lodge and village. Just this past year, Kirkwood released four new ski-in and ski-out neighborhoods: The Palisades, Thunder Mountain Lodge, including Timber Creek Lodge, The Cliffs, and the Sentinels West. Because of its unique real estate appeal incorporating its recreational offerings into the heart of the resort, the demand for the properties was far great than availability.

With the regeneration of South Shore’s downtown comes an ever-progressing buzz of activity that appeals to visitors and locals on the go who look to be in the heart of the action. For more details information on redevelopment plans or completed projects, log onto www.bluelaketahoe.com.

About the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Set high in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, South Shore Lake Tahoe offers one of the World’s most unique destinations, combining spectacular natural beauty and a plethora of outdoor activities along with 24-hour nightclubs, fine dining, gaming and superstar entertainment. The region’s naturally beautiful white-capped granite peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet, emerald green forests, and indigo blue waters draw vacationers year-round from around the world to experience the best in outdoor recreation, including world-class skiing and riding, boating, fishing, golfing, hiking, and mountain biking as well as to enjoy the dynamic nightlife. For information about lodging, recreation and family packages at South Shore Lake Tahoe, call the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, 1-800-AT-TAHOE (1-800-288-2463) or log onto www.bluelaketahoe.com.

Access to Blue Lake Tahoe
The Reno/Tahoe International Airport provides 180 daily flights with nonstop service to 20 destinations, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Salt Lake City. An additional 24 destinations are serviced via direct, one-stop flights from RTIA. The airport is just 55 miles from South Lake Tahoe and is accessible via the South Tahoe Express, a luxury shuttle service. The Lake Tahoe Airport is a year-round all-weather facility with professional services located in South Lake Tahoe, CA for the general aviation and corporate executive traveler.