Joe Kline / The BulletinA construction crew works on the new swimming pool and surrounding area Thursday at Black Butte Ranch.

The lodge area of Black Butte Ranch is undergoing a nearly $11.5 million transformation.

Construction began the day after Labor Day and is expected to finish June 15, said Mike Taylor, vice president of Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co.

“Essentially all of the existing facilities on site have been (demolished),” he said. “We started pouring concrete on the pool house and the pool last week.”

Taylor said his goal is to start framing by Thanksgiving.

For years, homeowners identified the lodge area of the resort as an area needing reinvestment, said Scott Huntsman, president and CEO of Black Butte Ranch, and in December, a redevelopment project was approved.

Improvements include a new pool, hot tub, bistro and retail area with outdoor dining and poolside service, as well as locker rooms, a fitness facility, recreation center and playground.

“We’re excited to see how people use the new facilities and how it integrates into the family-oriented, recreational environment that we created here,” Huntsman said.

— Rachael Rees