Jack Thomas was key to negotiations that led to the Park City municipal government’s acquisition of land in Bonanza Park, where officials are now pursuing an ambitious development.
Thomas was the mayor of Park City in mid-2017 when the $19.5 million deal was announced for the approximately 5 acres off the southwest intersection of Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard. The deal involved a private-sector partnership that struggled to win support for a development at the location. Thomas and other Park City leaders at the time instead envisioned creating an arts and culture district on the land with the Utah offices of the Sundance Institute and the Kimball Art Center as the anchors.
The concept, though, faltered in the intervening years, with the Sundance Film Festival leaving the state and the Kimball Art Center opting for a location in the Snyderville Basin. There was only limited progress toward developing an arts and culture district before the two organizations decided to depart.
The municipal government and a partner are instead pursuing a radically different development concept. It involves a large amount of income-restricted housing, market-rate units and commercial square footage. A childcare location and 2 acres of open space are also included.
Thomas appeared at the Marsac Building on Wednesday during a Park City Planning Commission meeting about the concept, offering pointed testimony about the proposal during a hearing that tilted against the project.
It has been rare for Thomas to testify about a Park City issue since he left office in early 2018 after not seeking reelection to a second term. Thomas, an architect who splits his time between Park City and Bentonville, Arkansas, served on the Planning Commission prior to his mayoral victory. Parkites saw him as a reasoned leader amid the strengthening emergence from the Great Recession and as the community was jarred by Vail Resorts’ acquisition of Park City Mountain and subsequent linking of the resort with what was then the standalone Canyons Resort.
Thomas’ testimony was notable for the influential role he played in the talks about the acquisition and the early discussions regarding an arts district. He invoked the late Robert Redford, the Sundance founder, in his comments to the Planning Commission.
“I thought I’d mention a little bit about how the arts and culture came about, because I was with another person when we came up with the concept, and that was Bob Redford,” Thomas said. “He had a passion for small towns. He had a passion for Park City. He thought it could be more than just another resort town, and I happened to agree with him.”
During his administration, he said Park City “had this amazing opportunity to see this land that we’re talking about today as the arts and culture district become available” and recalled municipal staffers devising a funding strategy. Thomas spoke about Parkites’ opinions about the land at the time, saying the current concept does not resemble what was discussed then.
“When we moved to the community and got our input to the community and from the community, we emphasized the fact that it was an arts and culture district. I don’t see that in the plan today. I think you suffer to find it in this plan,” he said.
Thomas added: “It’s a pathetic plan, and I think you should seriously consider walking away from it or re-evaluating.”
He said an earlier vision for the land respected the high-profile location, but the current one fails in that respect.
“What we see, from a perspective, is walls of buildings on Bonanza and Kearns. And I think it’s an overwhelming scale and has none of the character, none of the amenities, none of the purpose that I think we started with,” he said.
Thomas urged a reconsideration of the concept.
“It’s an opportunity to do something on the most important land we have in this community. And so let’s get it right even if it takes stepping back, evaluating the massing and scale, and taking another look at those original plans,” he said.
The agreement to acquire the land, which ended the previous owner’s disputed development efforts, was one of the top accomplishments of the Thomas administration. An arts and culture district like the one outlined at the time was viewed as advancing Park City’s efforts to diversify the economy and spotlighting the importance of the cultural sector to the community. It was also seen as ensuring Sundance’s long-term future in Park City as well as providing a permanent spot for the Kimball Art Center after the organization weathered a bruising development battle in Old Town.
In announcing the agreement in 2017, Thomas said a district “is anchored in who we are as a community.” He described the agreement as a “miraculous moment” and a “perfect opportunity” during the announcement.
The Planning Commission on Wednesday received approximately one hour of testimony, mostly in opposition to the concept. The panel is scheduled to return to the discussions at an Aug. 26 meeting.
The development proposal involves:
- 88 units of income-restricted rentals.
- 18 rentals without income restrictions.
- More than 30,000 square feet for a variety of tenants, such as retailers, restaurants, cafes and art spaces for not-for-profit organizations.
- A childcare location.
- 2 acres of open space.