The 26 acres known as the Red Maple parcel is located just off state Route 248 in Quinn’s Junction.
Park City has long wanted the land for long term open space, but a deal to purchase it has been stalled since 2015.
In June, however, the U.S. Air Force signed off on a land swap, according to a memo outlining the agreement obtained by KPCW.
Decades ago the U.S. Congress gave the land to the Air Force as compensation for a demolished ski lodge in Snowbasin that offered discount rates to active and retired military members.
The deal required the Air Force to partner with a private or governmental entity for construction, as no dollars were appropriated for the project, just the land.
The Air Force initially intended to build a new resort on the Red Maple property in Park City.
Instead it approached the Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA, about developing in Wasatch County.
MIDA is a state-created governmental entity with the purpose of serving active military and veterans. It creates revenue for its programs by partnering with local government entities to invest in economic development projects. MIDA's project area in Wasatch County includes the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, which will have 100 rooms available at reduced rates for service members, along with the resort's ski terrain expansion.
The Red Maple property has long been a part of Park City’s long-term open space plan. The municipality agreed to buy the land from MIDA back in 2015.
MIDA’s board approved the deal in 2020. It became official last month after the Air Force signed off on the agreement.
Park City is paying MIDA $2 million for the Red Maple parcel. Resident taxpayer dollars didn’t contribute to the acquisition, according to the memo. The Air Force is receiving a 1.5 acre parcel at Deer Valley East Village as part of the transaction.
"Thanks to prudent investment decisions made by City leaders, resident taxpayer money was not used to fund the acquisition of Red Maple – which may now serve our community as recreational open space for generations,” Park City Mayor Nann Worel said in a statement.
$1.9 million from the sale will go towards MIDA’s recent purchase of 42 affordable workforce housing units in East Village. MIDA is donating the remaining $100,000 to the boys and girls athletic programs at the Wasatch County School District.
