RUMFORD – One of Maine’s smallest ski areas will double in size next winter under a plan announced Wednesday by the Maine Winter Sports Center to buy and expand Black Mountain.

Using money provided by the Portland-based Libra Foundation, the Maine Winter Sports Center will install a chairlift, snowmaking equipment and lights, and begin a program of children’s activities in time for the 2003-2004 ski and snowboard season.

The project, announced by Andy Shepard, CEO of the center, will more than double the ski area’s vertical drop, from 470 feet to 1,120 feet, and double its skiable acres. The chairlift will supplement the T-bar surface lift now in use.

Shepard declined to disclose a purchase price. He said lift ticket prices will remain below $20, in keeping with his organization’s mission of promoting community-based skiing.

Black Mountain includes 35 kilometers of cross-country trails, and the area has a long history of hosting national collegiate championships.