The Bonanza Park development partnership on Wednesday outlined some details of the commercial aspects of the proposal, providing a building-by-building breakdown of the possibilities for the ground floors.
The partnership, involving the Park City municipal government and a Chicago-area firm called Brinshore Development LLC continued the talks with the Park City Planning Commission at a meeting at the Marsac Building. It is unclear when the panel will be prepared to cast a vote, but the meeting covered a range of issues that will be important to the eventual vote. The Planning Commission did not hold a hearing on Wednesday, likely contributing to a smaller crowd compared to some recent meetings.
The partnership showed a slide that provided information about the plans for the spaces on the ground floors of the buildings. It was among the highlights of the meeting, as the partnership attached square footages to the spaces. Brinshore Development LLC said afterward the numbers could be tweaked.
The slide, though, offered at least a preview of the possibilities. The breakdown includes:
- Building 1 has 4,300 square feet of childcare space and 2,188 square feet in a leasing office.
- Building 2 has 7,160 square feet of art studios.
- Building 3 has 3,689 square feet of fitness-studio space, which would be open to the public.
- Building 4 has a retail lease covering 2,140 square feet and a cafe lease with 2,200 square feet.
- Building 5 has 5,516 square feet of retail lease that could be divided into two.
- Building 6 has a restaurant lease of 2,100 square feet and a retail lease of 2,592 square feet. The retail space could be divided into two.
- Building 7 has an art pavilion of 2,563 square feet.
The proposal largely locates the buildings on the perimeter of the approximately 5 acres, which stretch inward from the southwest corner of the intersection of Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard. The buildings would surround other aspects of the proposal, like an amphitheater, a commons, a fitness lawn and groves. Two of the acres are described as open space.
The overall proposal includes:
- 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.
The municipal government owns the land and tapped Brinshore Development LLC as a partner. Park City leaders see the proposal as an important element of the municipal government’s housing efforts, which are seen as having benefits like increasing socioeconomic diversity and reducing commuter traffic.
There is organized opposition to the proposal, with some pressing Park City leaders to instead create park space at the location. Testimony in support of the proposal at earlier meetings of the Planning Commission has broached topics like creating housing opportunities for those otherwise priced out of Park City’s resort-driven real estate and rental markets. Critics have countered with concerns about traffic increases and the designs.
The development team and the Planning Commission spent limited time on Wednesday addressing the commercial elements of the proposal. The development team, as an example, mentioned the commercial tenants could be open from the morning to the evening. That, the Planning Commission was told, could spread out the traffic headed to and from the commercial spaces through the day.
The development team, meanwhile, showed a slide that explained the desired mix of tenants that would be housed in the commercial spaces. Some of the points, as written, included:
- “Targeting tenants whose busy times are staggered throughout the day.”
- “Services, wellness, retail, food, and fitness spreads variability with access/demand.”
- “Appropriate mix helps reduce car visits by having patrons visiting multiple businesses on one trip.”
- “Targeting different tenants from surrounding developments encourages non-motorized transit between neighborhood properties.”
Another slide shown to the Planning Commission called for creating a “Third Space — places that aren’t home or work, but a welcoming, flexible environment where the community naturally gathers.” It listed possibilities like a brewery or taproom, a restaurant or cafe, a bicycle and outdoor store, and a fitness studio.
The slides that were displayed on Wednesday followed another batch of information about the commercial possibilities provided by the partnership as the meeting approached. Some of the earlier information was similar to what was shown at the meeting, including a statement saying: “The site design, leasing plan, and the programming and activation are designed to work together as placemaking to create a ‘Third Place’ for community gathering. The Third Place planning concept is meant to build community by providing a safe place to connect that is not home or work (or online). A Third Place is where locals can meetup, engage in activities, communicate, and be recognized as familiar neighbors, creating a sense of community and belonging.”
It is not clear when the Planning Commission will be prepared to cast a vote. There were comments on Wednesday from panelists about the proposal being consistent, at least broadly, with the municipal General Plan, an overarching document that guides growth in the community.