Though there were no crowds at Park City's council meeting on Thursday, there was one item on the agenda that held the attention of Peace House staff members in attendance.
The approval from council members to purchase the Old Town Peace House property for $1.25 million is what Facility Project Director Jane Patten said is a big step in the right direction.
“What happened tonight is just one piece of our funding for our new facility," Patten said. "It will be on Round Valley Drive and so we hope to break ground later in the first part of this year and it’s just part of the funding for it. We are trying to be diverse in our funding. It will include some other forms of funding and also we will be having a capitol campaign in the future.”
Peace House wouldn’t comment any further on the campaign they’re planning but Capital Campaign Manager Liza Springmeyer said she’s thrilled to be a part of a movement that will change the way domestic violence is, not only treated, but viewed.
“We are making a shift as Peace House," Springmeyer said. "This is part of a broader shift across the country where our facility will no longer be at a undisclosed location but instead be in a secure and open facility where victims no longer feel like they have to hide but can feel protected by the community of support around them and the infrastructure of security built within the facility.”
Peace House representatives said some of the big changes they’re making will enable them to provide long-term shelter, therapy, re-education and a new direction to help the people they serve build a new life.