The Kimball Art Center is getting ready to move.
The nonprofit announced Wednesday that it signed a letter of intent to pursue a new, purpose-built art space in Kimball Junction next to the former Skullcandy property owned by Summit County.
“We signed it with Dakota Pacific, who own the property,” said Kimball Art Center Executive Director Aldy Milliken. “They are donating 1.1 acres to the Kimball Art Center, and giving us the opportunity to buy another half acre at a very reduced price.”
The land is due west of the former Skullcandy headquarters, Milliken said.
“It’s an extraordinary site on the hill with unobstructed views of the Utah Olympic Park, and the conservation land in front, next to the dog park,” he said. “So it’s a great location.”
The 1.62 acres would come with a price tag under $500,000, according to Milliken.
“That agreement is already in the LOI,” he said. “We’ve already done a site review with an engineering company. Since there are wetlands and conservation lands adjacent, we wanted to make sure it would be good for the Kimball.”
Kimball Art Center is working with Paratus Group from New York, which specializes in cultural buildings, to help Milliken, his staff and board members determine the Kimball Art Center’s priorities with the land.
“We wanted to define our relationship to landscape and what it means to be an accessible location,” he said.
Accessibility to residents from Summit, Salt Lake and Utah counties is a priority for Milliken.
“Most of our staff live in Salt Lake City, so they won’t have to drive as far. People in Park City can easily get to the area and may be going against traffic. So we feel like this is a more central location for all of Summit County and Park City proper.”
Milliken doesn’t think moving the Kimball Art Center from Park City proper to the Kimball Junction will negatively impact the nonprofit.
“We can truly be a beacon of the arts in all of Utah,” he said. “Also, with the Olympics coming (in 2034), we felt this could become the gateway to Park City and what we wanted to achieve.”
Milliken also believes moving to the new space where there is a transportation hub, a library and ample parking will cut down on traffic within Park City.
“I looked at the Aspen Art Museum when they went from a small facility to a 30,000-square-foot museum in 2013,” he said. “They went from 25,000 visitors to 100,000 visitors, and I felt that would be a lot for Kearns Boulevard, and would add to a lot of parking pressure for the area.”
This won’t be the first move for the Kimball Art Center, which in 2015 relocated from its long-time location at the intersection of Main Street and Heber Avenue to 1401 Kearns Blvd. after a dispute with Park City over expansion plans.
Then in 2021, the nonprofit secured a temporary home at the Yard, 1251 Kearns Blvd., where it currently sits.
“I like the footprint of it, but I’m biased because my wife and I were able to design the interior,” Milliken said of the present location. “We asked the staff to help tweak and improve on it. The interior represents what we do and enables what we do.”
Milliken said he is grateful for the freedom landlord Mark J. Fischer gave the Kimball Art Center with the current space.
“I appreciate Mark for renting us the space at a reduced rate so we could succeed in showing people what we do and do well,” he said. “Its refined, articulate location and interior helped people understand the future of the Kimball Art Center.”
The decision for Milliken and the Kimball Art Center to look into the Kimball Junction parcel was driven by several key priorities:
- Mission Alignment
As Park City’s longest-standing nonprofit arts institution, Kimball Art Center remains committed to creating accessible, high-quality experiences that inspire creativity and foster connections across all ages and backgrounds. - Accessibility
Located at the gateway to Park City, the new site increases access for regional visitors, families, and educators, while easing travel logistics for students and staff. - Sustainability
Proximity to public transportation supports more sustainable commuting, reduces traffic congestion, and aligns with the organization’s environmental values. - Economic viability
Dakota-Pacific Corp is donating 1.1 acres to the Kimball Art Center, combined with a reduced-rate purchase of a half-acre, enough land for the Kimball to grow and expand at a cost that respects its fiduciary obligations. - Project Timeline
The development of the Kimball Junction development area is proceeding at pace, allowing Kimball Art Center to vacate its current temporary location sooner and establish a new permanent home. - Connection to Nature
Surrounded by open space, the Swaner Preserve, and expansive mountain views, the setting enhances the creative atmosphere and reflects the Art Center’s deep connection to the land.
While the Kimball Art Center was to once become an anchor, along with the Sundance Film Festival, and other arts organizations, for an arts and culture district proposed at Bonanza Park, those plans have shifted. Sundance’s decision to move to Boulder in 2027 wasn’t a factor in looking for a new home, Milliken said.
“When I arrived in 2020, the cultural district was the main reason why I came to help build a building, but COVID messed with a lot of cultural organizations and things became unattainable,” he said. “Even before that, between 2015 and 2017, the Kimball Art Center Board had been looking at properties all over Summit County. So, we’ve been really thinking about this for 10 years, and the biggest change was having this professional help with Paratus Group brought the clarity we needed to move forward with this decision.”
Milliken emphasized that the letter of intent is the beginning of a new Kimball Art Center chapter.
“We’ve only started working out the building’s mission and vision, so we haven’t approached any architects,” she said. “But we will utilize materials that will explain our mission and vision, and then work on builder collaborators, community members and donors, different folks who could help us achieve what we want to achieve.”