Arts and Culture District
A proposed arts and culture district under a letter of intent with Sundance and the Kimball Arts Center, including 60,000 to 90,000 square feet of added space and about 400 parking stalls. Council members supported moving forward and called for an area plan, RFP and development agreement.
- Where it stands
- Approved
- Type
- Area or general plan
- Location
- Bonanza Drive / Poison Creek corridor
- Applicant
- Park City Municipal with Sundance Institute and Kimball Arts Center
Every hearing and vote
July 9, 2020 · City Council
Arts and Culture District owner's representative addendum, GTS Development, LLC
Pending
Addendum #1 through Feb. 28, 2021, not to exceed $820,385, for a total of $1,069,384.96.
December 15, 2020 · City Council
Arts and Culture District phased approach and financial plan
Approved
Staff estimated full build-out at $88.4 million and Phase One at $57.9 million, with 50 housing units in Building One and 75 in the district, and land sales to Kimball Arts Center and Sundance estimated at $6.8 million (sales must close by June 2022). About $5.6 million in transient room tax is budgeted. Council Member Max Doilney estimated housing at about $430,000 per unit, or $900 per square foot, and studio rent at $1,400 to $1,450 a month. Active transportation scenarios ranged from $1.25 million to $25 million or more. Council Member Steve Joyce raised concerns about funding later phases and Council Member Tim Henney about parking costs for affordable housing. The minutes state council passed a resolution dedicating money to the district; no tally is given.
December 17, 2020 · City Council
Arts and Culture District
Discussed
Speakers from the Arts Council, Sundance Institute and Kimball Arts Center commented. The 2017 estimate was $60 million and the current estimate is $107 million. No vote.
January 7, 2021 · City Council
Arts and Culture District work session
Discussed
Council discussed transit stops, housing costs and rental models, and parking. Aldy Milliken said Kimball Art Center has paid over $500,000 toward its building and asked for a commitment that the district proceeds. Figures discussed included $325,000 a unit at Homestake versus $600,000 a unit in the district and about $9 million for second-phase housing. No vote.
January 21, 2021 · City Council
Arts and Culture District transportation
Discussed
Staff described the site as a transit node. Figures included an overall district cost of about $100 million, a transit share of 10 to 15 percent, an underground transit option costing $12 million to $15 million more and a 7 percent estimated traffic reduction from mixed use. Council Members Max Doilney and Nann Worel volunteered for a public-private partnership task force; the retreat moved to March or April. No vote.
February 4, 2021 · City Council
Arts and Culture District housing
Discussed
Phase One was proposed at $58 million; district housing costs $22 million, or $440,227 a unit for 50 units. Council Member Steve Joyce said net-zero features add $100 a square foot. Council set a Feb. 11 special session and asked members to complete a housing priority matrix. No vote.
February 25, 2021 · City Council
Arts and Culture District finance plan
Discussed
Staff presented three scenarios: full build-out $89,165,450; parking and buildings two through four with an RFP for building one $63,957,714; and the same with the bottom level of building one $67,707,714. Financing includes a $9 million TRT bond and a $33 million ARST bond, bonding against 65 percent of TRT/ARST revenue while staying under a 50 percent debt-to-revenue ratio. Council Member Joyce raised concerns about a 20-year term and suggested 15 years plus a GO bond for the gap; Council Member Tim Henney disagreed with a GO bond. Council was not in favor of office space. No vote.
March 11, 2021 · City Council
Demolition services contract, Arts and Culture District site
Approved · 5-0
The council removed the item from consent for discussion, then authorized the city manager to sign a contract with MKP Enterprises, not to exceed $218,600. Staff said three bids were received and MKP was lowest. Soil removal is not included, the surface would be secured if excavation is delayed, and the contractor committed to recycling 50 percent of removed material. Council Member Steve Joyce asked that RFP responses be included in future reports. Peter Tomai said the contract was premature before a public hearing; Rich Ford asked for no more spending until direction is clear.
March 31, 2021 · City Council
Public hearing: Park City Arts and Culture District
Discussed
Staff put the total cost at $107.9 million: land $19.5 million, housing $32 million, community spaces and plaza $37.2 million, parking $14.3 million and transportation and walkability $4.9 million. Funding is transient room tax ($5.6 million anticipated), a possible $25 million sales tax revenue bond for community spaces and $15 million for parking, and assumed land sales of $6.825 million; staff said no GO bond would be issued. Guiding principles include no tax increase and adherence to debt policy. About 28 speakers and writers raised support for the arts, cost, affordable housing, traffic, connectivity to Prospector Square and Main Street, and disability and youth programming. Council Member Steve Joyce voiced financing concerns. Council said it was not making a firm decision.
April 29, 2021 · City Council
Arts and Culture District finance and scope
Discussed
Scenario one: $57.3 million excluding land, 28 housing units initially, building two eliminated. Scenario two: $42.4 million, no housing. Scenario three: $73.9 million, full build-out with 60 units. Council Member Max Doilney proposed a $60 million limit with 16 extra units; the mayor summarized interest in scenario one with those units at $64 million. Funding discussed: a $25 million 20-year TRT-backed bond, $100,000 per unit from the Housing Fund, $5 million from the Transportation Fund, $1.25 million in walkability bond proceeds and $5.55 million in capital repurposing. Staff recommended scenario one. No vote.
May 27, 2021 · City Council
Arts and Culture District scope and finance
Discussed
The scope was presented at $64.5 million with $1.4 million and $1.85 million in new funding sources; the mayor summarized $65 million as the project amount. No vote.
June 24, 2021 · City Council
Arts and Culture District temporary programming
Discussed
Staff proposed a $150,000 budget: $70,000 for physical improvements, $50,000 for two contract staff and $30,000 for programming, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Soil sampling averaged under 125 ppm, below a 300 ppm threshold. No vote.
July 1, 2021 · City Council
Temporary programming at the Arts and Culture District site
Approved · 4-1
The council approved a $149,000 expense budget, $30,000 art budget from Public Art Advisory Board funds and a $15,000 Transit to Trails contract funded by the Central Wasatch Commission, for July through September 2021. Worel voted no, wanting soil sampling completed before activation and suggesting $150,000 for sampling. One speaker questioned the district's appeal, safety and cost.
November 4, 2021 · City Council
Arts District temporary programming update
Discussed
Staff reported $130,000 spent against a $149,000 budget for site management. Council asked that the programming budget be addressed in the Nov. 18 budget amendment. Discussion and direction only.
February 10, 2022 · City Council
Arts and Culture District
Discussed
Council wanted further work sessions. The May 2021 final design carries a $65 million cost including 60 housing units, with about $3.5 million spent so far on design, demolition and site work. No vote.
April 7, 2022 · City Council
Work sessions: special events, housing program and Arts and Culture District
Discussed
Council discussed special-event criteria and fee waivers, housing tools including deed restrictions, buy-downs and shared equity, and a letter of intent with Sundance and the Kimball Arts Center for an arts district at a stated $85.50 per square foot purchase price, 60,000 to 90,000 square feet of added space and about 400 parking stalls. Members expressed support for moving forward and called for an area plan, an RFP and a development agreement. No votes were taken.
April 28, 2022 · City Council
City programming at the Arts District
Discussed
Staff presented options with a $50,000 to $60,000 range mentioned. Council generally favored late-summer and fall programming for locals. Residents questioned claims of success and safety or urged minimal city spending. No vote.
September 14, 2022 · City Council
Bonanza Park master planning and Arts and Culture District feasibility study
Discussed
Planning staff presented an action plan to update the Arts and Culture District feasibility study and fold circulation, transportation and parking work into a Bonanza/Snow Creek area plan, feeding a small area plan and a General Plan update. Rubell wanted inputs defined first and did not want the study to drive the area plan; Dickey said the city likely cannot meet its letter-of-intent commitments as written and asked for a future discussion of a Bonanza Park development moratorium; Doilney wanted consensus on the district first; Toly wanted the study extended to Gold Dust Lane; Gerber asked how public input would be separated for the two plans. Council agreed to ask the community whether it wants the district and to proceed as presented. A selection committee will recommend a consultant.
August 29, 2023 · City Council
Bonanza Park Small Area Plan and five-acre site feasibility study: phase one engagement results
Discussed
Engagement included three community meetings, 11 stakeholder roundtables and two online surveys. The five-acre site survey drew 826 responses, with 45 percent supporting an arts and culture district. Residents were comfortable with three to five stories. Rubell pressed for a clear yes or no on arts and culture and said 57 arts-related responses out of about 700 were not significant; Doilney said arts proponents deserve a dedicated area. No clear direction was given and no vote was taken.
January 11, 2024 · City Council
Bonanza Park five-acre feasibility study
Discussed
Survey priorities were open space, affordable housing and an arts center. The 1 percent transient room tax, in place since 2017 for this parcel, has received about $6.5 million and could support about $30 million in bonds; a public infrastructure district and a community redevelopment area were also described, and staff did not recommend the latter. Ciraco, Dickey and Rubell preferred an RFP; Dickey and Rubell said one concept is sufficient while Toly wanted three; Parigian said housing is the priority and the letter of intent promise should be kept; Rubell said he does not support an infrastructure district here. Staff reported 479 affordable units in the pipeline against a goal of 800 by 2026. Direction: staff will draft an RFP outline for both areas, funding guided by the future transient room tax, and begin formal talks with the Kimball Art Center and Sundance. Recycle Utah said it supports the plans but will need to relocate. No vote.
March 14, 2024 · City Council
Bonanza five-acre site feasibility study: request for direction
Discussed
Four options were presented: an RFP now under current zoning, an RFP now using the small area plan recommendations, a request for statements of qualifications now to select a development team and then an RFP for selected teams, or finishing the small area plan first. Arts organizations asked not to rush or preferred finishing the plan, and asked that local artists be included. Consensus of all members, without a recorded vote: option three. Council will review the RSOQ before issuance and the five-acre advisory committee will review responses.
June 5, 2024 · City Council
Bonanza Park project discussion
Discussed
Parking: Parigian, Ciraco and Dickey supported underground parking; Rubell wanted some at-grade parking and proposed RFP language relieving the developer of current code parking requirements. Kimball Art Center: Parigian wanted a standalone building and noted the affordable master plan limits buildings to three stories; the art center requested about one acre to phase its expansion. Housing: consultants defined workforce housing as 80 to 120 percent of area median income and affordable as 50 to 60 percent; Dickey said the HOPA site needs $10 million to succeed; Rubell favored a 50 percent floor for single-person households. Commercial: Toly opposed subsidizing commercial space; Ciraco wanted smaller or shared spaces. No vote.
June 6, 2024 · City Council
Bonanza Park project update
Discussed
Toly and Parigian opposed putting City Hall on the site. The consultants said the Kimball Art Center needed answers by the end of July; Dickey called the July 31 RFP timeline unrealistic and wanted a sound financial model first. Consultants will present 3 to 6 scenarios with cost estimates by June 27. Council agreed the city will own the land and lease it to a developer. No motion.
June 27, 2024 · City Council
Bonanza Park five-acre site project discussion: RFP contents
Discussed
Rubell preferred a 50,000 square foot retail and non-housing scenario and about 20 percent market-rate housing; Parigian agreed; Dickey wanted a target of 60 percent of area median income with a varied mix; Toly noted federal funding prioritizes three- and four-bedroom units; Ciraco wanted no ground-floor residential and four stories allowed. Consensus: some support for phasing, a spectrum of affordable housing, 20 percent retail, underground parking and one acre of open space in small areas. Consultants will bring back a couple of scenarios. No vote.
January 8, 2026 · City Council
Park City and Summit County Arts and Culture Master Plan (Resolution 01-2026)
Approved · 4-0
The council adopted the plan as an aspirational guiding document. Three speakers supported it. Council Member Ciraco noted a dedicated General Fund funding source; Council Member Parigian asked about tax revenue breakdowns and the city's partnership with developers.