SOURCE: BLACK HILLS PIONEER

Story & Photo By: Wendy Pitlick, Black Hills Pioneer

At least 150 single home lots at Deer Mountain will go on sale this week, and the developer says he plans to invest in infrastructure for the popular tubing hill to re-open in December 2022.

Gerard Keating, CEO of Keating Resources based in Atkinson, Neb., and Dallas, Texas, said he is developing the 680 acres at the former ski resort with home lots that will be between one to 20 acres. The road from the ski lodge to Highway 85 will be paved with asphalt by Oct. 1 of this year, and all lots will include municipal water, electric and high speed fiber lines. Lots are situated high on the mountain, along the perimeter of the ski runs, and feature 360 degree views of the Black Hills, from heights as much as 6,200 feet.

“That will be the highest home in the state of South Dakota,” he said of the lot that is located at 6,200 feet. “You can see for 100 miles.”

Once lots begin selling, Keating said he expects to see a mix of rental and permanent housing, ranging in size from 2,000 to 6,000 square feet.

“We are not restricting rentals,” he said. “We support people having property rights and doing what they want.”

In addition to the home lots, Keating said he is investing $1 million in a 750-foot-long magic carpet for the tubing hill. He plans to take his time opening for tubing, since he wants to do it right. With 150 acres, he said the tubing run will be one of the longest in the United States, at 1,000 feet.

“We’re not going to create any business that competes with existing businesses,” Keating said. “We’re just going to focus on day and night tubing, which is what it’s famous for. It’s going to be totally redesigned. I love tubing and it’s going to be fun.”

Keating Resources has business interests in Florida, Texas, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska. In addition to the Deer Mountain home lots, the company is developing 700 acres at Elkhorn Mountain into 30 home lots that range from two to 150 acres. The company has also purchased numerous businesses in the Northern Hills.