News this week that the shuttered Haystack ski area has been purchased should come as welcome relief to just about everybody in the region. The idea that the lifts may soon once again be running and skiers and riders enjoying Haystack’s slopes is very exciting indeed.

For those who are skiers, the reason for the excitement is obvious. Haystack has long been a hidden gem. It offers a variety of trails from easy to very difficult, and mountain enthusiasts have long considered it a personal playground. While the Haystack Club membership concept may limit access, we have a feeling that most locals will find a way to enjoy the slopes of Haystack.

But for others the real excitement should be in the economic development arena. We have long said that Haystack has been the elephant in the room when it came to economic development. No one wanted to talk about it, but there it was. The valley cannot sustain long-term economic growth without a functioning Haystack in the mix. Having a viable Haystack resort means jobs, investment, and additional business for the region.

The new owners are banking the bulk of their business plan on the real estate potential of the resort, as have many of the resort’s previous owners. To say those real estate development efforts have had mixed results is kind at best, as many ventures at Haystack have gone bust, sometimes before they ever got off the ground. But we think the new owners’ track record of success at the Hermitage and other ventures will bode well for them in their efforts with Haystack.

A revitalized Haystack, along with Mount Snow’s build-out of its master plan, should benefit the valley in many ways. But, as we’ve often said, other businesses must also keep pace with the modernization at Mount Snow, and now the rebirth of Haystack. Nobody wants to see Wilmington and Dover villages become ghost towns as visitors drive by on their way to all-inclusive resorts. Lodging properties must evolve, retail must offer the kind of shopping experience that keeps visitors coming back, restaurants must reinvent themselves from time to time, and service providers have to keep abreast of the customers’ needs. Of course Wilmington village business owners face daunting challenges in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene’s flooding, but the rebirth of the business community is also an opportunity to rebuild things better than they were before.

But for now, let’s enjoy the moment and relish in the good news of the Haystack purchase. It’s exactly the kind of positive development we’ve all needed.