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mountain world

Financing for Mountain World expected by summer The principals of Mountain World, the interactive entertainment centre planned for the basement of the Whistler Conference Centre, are still seeking financial investors but expect to have funding in pla

Financing for Mountain World expected by summer The principals of Mountain World, the interactive entertainment centre planned for the basement of the Whistler Conference Centre, are still seeking financial investors but expect to have funding in place for the project by the end of June. Glenn Fawcett said this week he will be presenting his investment package to about 1,500 financial planners in the Lower Mainland in the next few days. He has made a number of private presentations to potential investors in Whistler over the last two months. Corporate investors are also being sought to sponsor different sections within the project. Mountain World is a location-based entertainment centre, combining elements of theme parks, a sports hall of fame, a theme restaurant, retail space, an Internet cafe, a climbing wall, pool tables and virtual reality sports simulators in golf, downhill ski racing, snowboarding and mountain bike racing. The centre is expected to cost $2.5 million to build. Assuming financing is in place by the end of June Fawcett said construction in the space beneath the conference centre will start after Labour Day. Opening day for Whistler Mountain World is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1, 1997. Fawcett’s Mountain World Entertainment Ltd. has plans for future Mountain Worlds in other North American ski resorts, including Mont Tremblant, Stratton, Keystone, Vail and Aspen. Mountain World Entertainment Ltd. includes Fawcett, a former marketing manager for Intrawest’s Resort Ownership Club at Blackcomb and founder of Bust Loose! Holidays, as president and director. Greg Capozzi, a former area partner in Keg Restaurants and food and beverage director of Coast Capri Hotel, is another director. Chris Thompson, formerly in corporate finance with the Spectra Group of restaurants, is secretary and a director. The group of corporate advisors to Mountain World includes Jeff McNair of Forrec Ltd., whose firm directed the architectural design and development of Expo 86, Universal Studios in Florida, Canada’s Wonderland and the West Edmonton Mall Waterpark. Other advisors include Chris Lang of Lang and Associates as corporate sponsorship consultants, Terry Wright, who was chief financial officer for the 1994 Commonwealth Games and Expo 86 operations manager, and Darcy Kray of Durwest Construction, whose firm oversaw development of the aquatics centre and athletes village for the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Fawcett said a flight simulator and another piece of virtual reality equipment will be on display at the Robson Square Conference Centre in Vancouver next week. The simulators, which are made by a firm in Richmond, have never been shown in public before.