UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The 2008-2009 season at the Val Bialas Ski area at the Parkway was not the best season, but the Utica businessman selected by Utica Mayor David Roefaro to take over the operation this winter says he has big plans in store.

Mark Ford grew up in Utica, moved away and is now back. He says he wants to turn Val Bialas into the way it was when he went there as a youngster in the early 1970's.

Ford owns a mailing business called ShipRite, as well as a point-of-sale software business, now he wants to get into the ski business. He has ben selected as the new operator, but can't sign an agreement with the city until he gets insurance.

Ford says "They're going to re-inspect the hill on November 19th, at that point and time, as soon as I get that certificate in my hands, then we can sign an agreement with the city. They (the insurance company) wants a customer, they want safe skiing and we're going to give it to them."

Once he does get the go ahead, Ford says big changes are planned. The first change, no more "people mover" for the tubing area, which is what was done last season.

Ford says, "the tubing hill is going to be free sledding and tobagganing, the way it has been for decades, those guys were idiots taking over that hill, and we're going to clean up that mess."

Ford plans to make the newly named Val Bialas Sports Center profitable, first off by adding an ice skating rink near the clubhouse for the tennis courts. That clubhouse will be used he says for people to change into their skates.

The cost to skate Ford says most likely will be just $1 for kids and $3 for adults. Ford plans to reduce the cost of the chair lift pass for skiers from just $8 to 12 ..."depending upon weekend, weekday, resident, non resident, adult, non adult, military etc..."

Cross Country Skiers will also be accommodated as well. They will be allowed one free lift up the mountain. Once there, they will be able to ski more than six miles of groomed trails from the South Woods through Valley View Golf Course.

He hopes those skiers, when they ski back to the Sports Center will then spend money in a brand new café that is planned inside the ski chalet.

Ford says, "when they get up to the Eagle Rock up there, it's a nice downhill slope into the south woods and into the golf course, and then of course when they're down, it's almost downhill to come back over here so it's a nice restful cross country run, then we're hoping they're going to by coffee and whatever else at the cafe." Ford says the brand new café will have hot food and hot drinks!

The have already purchased a brand new snow machine, and believes skiing will be the key to Val Bialas' rejuvenation, and the rejuvenation of the big mountain at Val Bialas, he calls "Big Val".

He adds, "Once the grooming is done, the skiers will come back. The people in the past forgot their target market here, the beginner to intermediate skiers, they've forgotten."