The Park City leaders of 2017 were confident in a vision that would advance, and diversify, the tourism industry and solve a long-running development quandary in an important part of the community.
In the middle of that year, City Hall announced a $19.5 million agreement to acquire the land known as Bonanza Park, stretching inward from one of the corners of the Bonanza Drive-Kearns Boulevard intersection. The intention was to develop an arts and culture district with the Kimball Art Center and the Utah offices of the Sundance Institute as the anchors.
There has been only limited progress in the six years since then, as debates about the future of the land and then the pandemic slowed the efforts.
Jack Thomas, the mayor in 2017, called the agreement a “miraculous moment.” But Steve Joyce, then a Park City councilor, declared in early 2021 Parkites had told him they were “absolutely dumbfounded” by the dollar figures, running into the tens of millions, that had been publicized. Park City at that moment was attempting to come back economically from the pandemic.
More than two years later, another set of elected officials is now considering whether a project is even feasible and, if so, what it may involve.
The effort that is underway highlights the difficulties of growth and development in Park City regardless of whether it is a private-sector firm desiring to pursue a project at the base of a mountain resort or the municipal government itself wishing to add an arts district that, at one time at least, had broad appeal to Parkites.
An arts district has been touted as something that would advance Park City’s cultural stature. That, supporters say, would benefit Parkites and visitors.
A district like the one originally described would further integrate Sundance into the community while providing a permanent location for the Kimball Art Center in the years after it sold and moved out of its former longtime building along Main Street and into temporary quarters. It would also help diversify the critical tourism sector of Park City’s economy, the backers say.
Even though a district quickly won widespread support in arts circles and in certain segments of the general population upon the announcement in 2017, it has been clear throughout much of the time since then such a project would be a complex endeavor for City Hall as well as the two organizations that were seen as the anchors.
It is not even clear how much progress would have been made by now had there not been a pandemic.
The project depends on three parties that need to reach an agreement at some level regarding the details of a district as well as devise their individual funding strategies.
Those difficult steps are in addition to a City Hall planning process that can stretch far longer than anticipated and a public that has, over time, had a keen interest in, and numerous questions about, development at the high-profile location, whether it was the partnership that formerly owned the land or the municipal government pursuing a concept.
The land where an arts district was envisioned will be highlighted during an open house on Wednesday.
Leaders are in the middle of a study about the feasibility of development there and are gathering opinions from Parkites. The open house will also address the future of nearby Bonanza Park and Snow Creek.
The event is scheduled on Wednesday, July 19 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton Park City-The Yarrow, 1800 Park Ave. Information about the event is available at: https://lab2.future-iq.com/park-city-bonanza-park.