October 4th, 2020

 

Details in this blog are courtesy of The Kimball Art Center.

Park City citizens have long lamented that there isn’t a true center for the Arts in town. Now, with the Arts and Culture District, two powerful arts non-profits will have the opportunity to anchor and guide a new district focused on supporting artists and sharing beauty. Here at Gallery MAR we are looking forward to seeing the project come to pass, and celebrating with our friends at Sundance and the Kimball. Looking for the numbers? Head to the bottom of this blog to learn more about the details and project costs.
The rendering above shows what the long-awaited Park City Arts and Culture District (with the Kimball Art Center’s peaked roofs in the front) could look like when it’s completed at the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive (where the Maverick has been until recently). What do you think? The plan for the district includes ample creative and events space as well as the headquarters of the arts nonprofits the Kimball Arts Center and the Sundance Institute. (Photo credit Park City Municipal.) Affordable employee housing is also an important part of the plan.

 

The project is slated to cost the city upward of $70 million. Demolition to clear the way is scheduled to begin in November of 2020, with construction next spring, and an opening date is set for November 2023.

The Kimball Art Center and Sundance Institute are both partners in the project and are expected to have headquarters at the district once construction is complete. In addition to Sundance Institute and the Kimball Art Center building headquarters and art venues for their respective organizations, the district will house other arts and culture-related amenities and infrastructure, including a transit hub, parking, commercial space, and affordable/attainable housing for residents and artists.

“We could not be more thrilled to be partnering in this project,” said Kimball Art Center Board Chair Maggie AbuHaidar. “More than forty years ago, arts enthusiast Bill Kimball created a gathering place for the Park City community to experience the transformative power of the arts. This joint venture with the City and the Sundance Institute will take Mr. Kimball’s mission to the next level, by creating a new and inspiring gathering place, with increased access to arts education, exhibitions, and events, in the heart of Park City.”

 

“From a municipal perspective, the Park City Arts & Culture District is unique: it will advance the arts and culture economy in Park City and generate revenue for key programs without raising taxes on local residents,” said Capital, Debt & Grants Budget Manager Nate Rockwood. “It will also help diversify and complement the major drivers of our resort economy by providing year-round programming for residents and visitors.”

ELEMENTS OF THE AGREEMENT

  • Park City purchased a 5.25-acre parcel in Bonanza Park for $19.5-million to create the Park City Arts & Culture District.
  • Funds for purchase, development, and maintenance will be generated by overnight visitors via a one-percent municipal transient room tax. No additional taxes assessed on Park City residents.
  • Sundance Institute and the Kimball Art Center will purchase from the City the land. The Kimball Art Center intends to develop new public arts facilities and organizational headquarters on the property, and Sundance Institute intends to build an arts venue and year-round office. In the event either organization chooses not to build on the property, they will have the right to resell the land to the City or a third party.
  • The District will be jointly planned, designed, and executed through a public-private partnership composed of Park City Municipal, the Sundance Institute, and the Kimball Art Center.
  • This initial agreement specifies that Park City, Sundance Institute, and the Kimball Art Center will engage in a collaborative planning and design process. This process will strive for a design that is both artistically and architecturally significant and compatible with Park City’s General Plan and zoning and Land Management standards, such as height and design standards.
  • Park City will build and own underground, surface, and structured parking facilities that will support the use of the district.
  • Park City will build and operate the Bonanza Park Transit Hub within the district.
  • Park City will create open spaces and common areas in addition to approximately 60,000-to-90,000 square feet of City-owned building space designed to support and complement the arts and culture concept.
  • Community benefits include diversifying the local economy and destination offerings; expanding and enhancing the local arts and culture base; and providing cultural amenities for residents and visitors.

BY THE NUMBERS

  • Park City Arts & Culture District: 5.25 acres
  • Sundance Institute Office: 45,000 square feet (projected). Facility will include archive space.
  • Kimball Art Center: 30,000-to-40,000 square feet (projected). Facility will likely include galleries, studio and maker spaces for painting and drawing, ceramics, metal-working, glass fusion and other disciplines, photo labs, and an interactive children’s center.
  • Parking: 400 spaces, provided through a combination of surface, garage, and underground facility City will fund and maintain.
  • Mixed Use Space: 60,000-to-90,000 square feet, including a mix of retail, dining, and office units, as well as potentially affordable/attainable housing.
  • Collaborative Planning & Design Process: 2017–2018
  • Projected Groundbreaking: 2019
Tags: Arts district, Kimball Art Center, Park City affordable housing, Park City Art, Park City Arts and Culture District, Park City Municipal, Public art, Public Art Project in Park City, Sundance Institute, transit hub
Posted in Park City Life