Park City for decades has touted the historic fabric of Main Street as one of the draws of the shopping, dining and entertainment strip.
There are buildings from a century ago, the Park City Museum — the repository of the community’s history — is there and some people on Main Street at night either await the 10 O’clock Whistle or are caught off guard by the piercing noise.
And as the community considers the possibility of significant improvements to Main Street and nearby ground in an effort to ensure the commercial core remains competitive, the historic profile of the street has, at least peripherally, been raised during the discussions.
A City Hall-seated group known as the Main Street Area Plan Committee is debating a wide range of potential projects along or close to Main Street. The talks are ongoing and Mayor Nann Worel and the Park City Council later in December are expected to consider whether to endorse the various aspects of the vision for the future of Main Street.
Much of the focus has appeared to be on the list of possible projects, including new lodging options, workforce or otherwise income-restricted housing and a gondola link to Deer Valley Resort. But during a mid-November meeting of the Main Street Area Plan Committee, one of the members spoke about the potential effects of the various possibilities in the context of the historic nature of the street.
Jennifer Wesselhoff, the president and CEO of the Park City Chamber/Bureau, “emphasized the importance of maintaining the authenticity of Historic Main Street, calling it the ‘gem of Summit County,’” according to the minutes of the Nov. 14 meeting. Wesselhoff mentioned two locations — the Main Street post office and the Marsac Building — as she addressed the committee.
“She questioned what would define Main Street as historic if drastic changes, such as removing the Post Office or repurposing the civic uses of the City Hall building — both historic structures — were made,” the minutes show.
Another member of the Main Street Area Plan Committee responded to the comments from Wesselhoff. Maren Mullin, who owns a gallery on Main Street, “mentioned the museum and the Egyptian Theater as examples of historic icons that would remain,” according to the minutes.
“Jennifer countered that if two prominent historic buildings on Main Street were moved or repurposed, it raised questions about what should be preserved and prioritized. She expressed concern about the possibility of turning City Hall into a hotel, suggesting that a hotel could be placed elsewhere. Jennifer concluded by questioning whether the proposed changes align with the values of keeping Historic Main Street truly historic,” the minutes say.
The minutes add: “Jennifer expressed concern about how to balance preserving the historic essence of the post office while still moving forward with the larger vision outlined in the plan. She wondered how the committee could ensure that the historic character of such iconic buildings is maintained, even as new developments and changes are introduced to the area.”
Wesselhoff in a statement afterward clarified her comments during the meeting, saying she meant to note “the historical significance of Main Street and the importance of keeping the historical assets and small-town charm at the center of our community character.”
The post office was mentioned several times during the meeting. The minutes show there were varied opinions from the public about the location. The post office occupies high-profile land toward the middle of Main Street, making the ground strategic as City Hall considers improvements.
“While many preferred to keep it in its current location, others raised questions about its operations. Some advocated for restoring the historic section, and a few suggested relocating the building across the street,” according to the minutes.
Other references to the post office in the Main Street Area Plan Committee meeting minutes included:
- City Councilor Ryan Dickey, the liaison to the Main Street Area Plan Committee, noted “that many participants, particularly longtime residents and older community members, spoke about the unique social experience of visiting the post office and seeing neighbors. He suggested that instead of retaining the post office solely for that purpose, public spaces could be designed to foster similar community interactions.”
- Chris Eggleton, the economic development director at City Hall, said he had “conversations about preserving the building’s historic character and unique role as a gathering space in the district. He added that ideas could be integrated into a larger plaza design, as the building’s current functionality has somewhat outlived its relevance in this space.”
- Randy Scott, a member of the municipal Historic Preservation Board, “voiced concerns about relocating the historic portion of the post office, calling it a ‘slippery slope.’ He stated that as a board member, he could not support such a move and recommended finding a way to balance the creation of public space with adapting and reusing the historic building by restoring it to its original form.”
The facility provides typical postal functions and houses a large bloc of post-office boxes. Many people in Old Town receive their mail via the post-office boxes there since the U.S. Postal Service does not provide home delivery of mail in the neighborhood. Any effort to remove the post office as part of the improvements to Main Street would also be expected to address a mail-delivery strategy for those with post-office boxes at the building.