Business Overview
EB5 United Big Sky II, LLC, the new commercial enterprise (the "NCE"), is raising capital from EB-5 investors to develop a five-star ultra-luxury hotel, the One&Only Moonlight Basin (the "Project"). The Project will be a mixed-use residential development located within the Moonlight Basin community in Big Sky, Montana.
The Project will involve the construction of a luxury hotel, guest cabins, for-sale cabins, and amenity spaces that include a Chenot Spa facility, a ski lodge with gondola access to Big Sky Resort, and a signature restaurant. Big Sky Resort is the second-largest ski resort in the United States in terms of acreage. Along with Yellowstone Club, the Big Sky region is the largest ski destination in North America, boasting a vertical drop of 4,350 feet and an average annual snowfall of 400 inches.
The hotel rooms within the Project will consist of 94 guest rooms spread across five lodge buildings, 13 guest cabins, 62 branded for-sale cabins, and four branded homesite development lots.
The Project is sponsored by Big Sky Investment Holdings, LLC (the "Sponsor") and is being developed by Lone Mountain Land Company, LLC (the "Developer"), which is an affiliate of CrossHarbor Capital Partners, LLC ("CrossHarbor"). The funds from the Developer will be combined with EB-5 capital to develop the Project.
Location
The Project is situated in Big Sky, Montana, which is considered a rural target-employment area under the EB-5 regulations. A project qualifies as located in a rural area if it is situated outside a metropolitan statistical area ("MSA") and has a population of less than 20,000.
EB-5 investors in a rural project qualify for a decreased investment amount of $800,000 (the "Capital Contribution"). They will receive priority processing on their EB-5 application and have access to reserved visas with no waiting period (at this time).
Market Opportunity
Despite being a desirable ski destination, Big Sky's lodging market is significantly undersupplied. The market has less than 900 hotel rooms, compared to other world class ski communities, such as Breckenridge with 5,239 hotel rooms and Beaver Creek with 3,850 hotel rooms. Big Sky Resort is the closest resort to Yellowstone National Park, which attracts approximately 4.2 million tourists annually. The area has an estimated shortage of 3,000 to 5,000 hotel rooms, and there is limited supply coming in. Furthermore, there has been no new hotel supply in the area for over 15 years, except for the 129-room Marriott Residence Inn developed by CrossHarbor, which opened in 2019.
Management Experience
The Project is being undertaken by a highly experienced management team, comprised of experts in various specialized fields. EB-5 United, which specializes in providing capital for real estate developments through the EB-5 Program, is handling the administration of the Project. Big Sky Investment Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of CrossHarbor, is the Project's sponsor and owns more than 80% of the developable land in Big Sky. Edward J. Wetherbee and Arnold E. Sherman of Northern Rockies Regional Center, LLC, are sponsoring the EB-5 offering. Their prior experience includes neighborhood redevelopment and the expansion of the prestigious Yellowstone Club, a private ski and golf community in the Big Sky Community.
I-526E Denial Guarantee
An “I-526E Denial Guaranty” has been provided by an affiliate of the Sponsor, MB Hotel Holdings, LLC, to repay EB-5 investors in the event of denial.
Phased Investment
The NCE is providing EB-5 investors with a phased investment option, enabling them to make their Capital Contribution and Administrative Fee in multiple tranches, up to a maximum of five, within a three-month period.
Job Cushion
The Project is expected to generate a job creation that exceeds the minimum EB-5 program requirements by 374%, creating an average of 47.42 jobs per EB-5 investor application. As of February 2023, all jobs for the EB-5 investors have been created.
Owner Equity
The Developer has committed to have no less than approximately $180,000,000 of equity in the Project representing approximately 27.83% of the total Project cost of $646,661,418. The Developer equity is subordinate to the EB-5 capital in the Project.