In 2023, Heber City updated its Envision Heber 2050 general plan to include long-term goals for downtown like adding unique retail and dining options, providing more public parking and redesigning Main Street Park.
This month, the City Council hit two milestones in realizing those goals. Councilors determined uses for several downtown buildings the city has acquired since 2024 and, after over a year of gathering community feedback and debating the details, got on track to begin construction on the redesign of Main Street Park next spring.
Main Street Park
Though the Envision Heber 2050 initiatives are intended to benefit year-round residents and tourists alike, residents have had mixed reactions, and the plan continues to spark debate, particularly about Main Street Park.
For example, resident Linda Middleton expressed her distaste with the city’s plan to transform the park into downtown’s economic driver during the July 7 meeting.
“It’s a city park. It’s not supposed to be monetized. It’s not a Monopoly board,” she said.
Middleton made her comment before the City Council voted to enter the next stage of the park redesign. This 30% schematic design phase will allow the City Council to finalize the basic layout, guided by engineering firm Terracon Consultants. It will, essentially, lock in the vision for the multi-phase project, which is expected to cost $15 to $18 million.
But for Mayor Heidi Franco, the question remained: How can that vision be finalized to ensure this new community gathering space meets the needs of all who use it?
Her concern was informed by a discussion with JC Hackett during his annual car show at the park.
“He said, ‘How am I going to fit my car show on that (redesigned park)?’ I don’t know how to answer him,” she said. “We need to think about existing uses of the park and not just kick everybody out that doesn’t fit the plan.”
Phil Jordan, a city resident who works as an events manager, recommended the city establish a stakeholder committee as a solution. The committee would provide feedback throughout the design process and could include representatives from city staff, organizers, downtown business owners and residents living near the park.
“If you allow (committee members) and authorize them to be willing to work (with the city) and represent those constituencies … it makes it a very public and transparent process, and it takes a certain amount of pressure off you as elected officials,” Jordan said.
The City Council was receptive to the idea.
“We just have to believe in the stakeholders and their vision and (that) they see what (the City Council’s) vision is going to be and represent us really well,” said City Councilor Sid Ostergaard. “Then, they can come back and give us input and say, ‘This is why we’re going this direction. What do you guys think?’”
The City Council did not formally vote to organize such a committee but did unanimously approve the $374,000 expense for the 30% design, a topographic survey and a geotechnical report.
After the 30% design is complete, the City Council will determine what phases to split the project into.
Terracon will also then apply for state and federal grants for the project, at no extra cost to the city. Other sources of funding will include impact fees from developments, Trails, Arts & Parks tax revenue, public-private partnerships and revenue generated by park vendors and events.
Space for rent
The City Council also discussed how to use several buildings it purchased in the past two years or is in the process of acquiring: the former Heber Light & Power building, the two Wasatch Wave buildings and the disused fire station at 100 South.
The city is currently finalizing an agreement to purchase the fire station from Wasatch County for about $1.9 million. Once it is Heber City property, it will likely be transformed into an incubator space leased to local artists, either permanently or until the city demolishes it to establish more public parking.
“I like the intent of the fire station, to divide it up to give the potential for locals to be able to rent at a cheaper price,” Ostergaard said. “How much is rent going for on Main Street right now? It’s quite a bit.”
City community development director Tony Kohler said he is currently setting up meetings with local arts nonprofits to see if any would be interested in leasing the space, which would be subleased to individual artists.
Meanwhile, the Heber Light & Power building will likely be demolished to install public parking, a process that will cost the city around $60,000 to $65,000, according to City Manager Matt Brower. The city purchased the building from Wasatch County in April 2025 for about $875,000.
The city purchased the two Wasatch Wave buildings for over $2.1 million in July 2025. Brower has spoken with realtors about the over 9,000 square feet of space, and it was recommended to divide it into three or four leasable suites.
Brower hopes to fill these suites with commercial tenants that would be open evenings and weekends, driving downtown spending during these times.
“It can’t be an engineering office. It can’t be a lawyer’s office. It can’t be dry cleaners. It’s got to be retail, and it’s got to be restaurants that are going to drive people downtown,” he said.
Heber City purchased the two Wave Publishing buildings at 165 S. 100 W. in July 2025. Credit: Park Record file photo by Galen DeKemper 
Wasatch Wave owner Paul McFee compared operating Wave Printing’s manually-operated King newspaper press to “fighting forces of nature.” Credit: Michael Ritucci/Park Record
The transformation of the Wasatch Wave building into several suites will require renovations, Brower said, but the city will likely pass those costs on to tenants rather than bear them. The trade-off for tenants would be longer leases of three to five years.
Even after renovations, The Wasatch Wave’s printing press, which is bolted to the ground, will probably have to stay. Brower said it could make for an interesting, screened-off decoration at a restaurant.
Brower is positive that the city will be able to find tenants for its new downtown properties.
“We’ve actually been contacted by three businesses, two restaurants and one retail, that want to go in the Wave building,” he said.
All of these buildings are located along 100 West between Center Street and 200 South. The city hopes to transform the area into a walkable destination for residents and tourists to enjoy.
A ‘great future’ ahead
While there are still 24 years to go until the 2050 horizon year of the Envision Heber plan, City Councilor Mike Johnston believes downtown is growing in the right direction.
As examples, he pointed to positive reactions he’d seen to several additions downtown: increased event programming, the new bandshell at Main Street Park and the paving of a portion of 200 South into a walkable “festival street.”
Johnston said a “great future” is in the works for downtown.
“People really want to be part of something. They want to come downtown, and they will come downtown if they provide them a place to come,” he said.