At its policy retreat Thursday, the Park City Council discussed various aspects of the plan, which proposes several major redevelopment concepts that would transform the historic core ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympics.
The council’s conversation was guided by consultants working on the plan, which was informed by a committee last year. Their hope was to end the day Thursday with a clear vision for the council’s priorities.
The council did support pursuing an ambient temperature loop study, which would analyze the potential for more sustainable energy uses to heat buildings and possibly melt snow on Main Street sidewalks.
There was also interest in exploring a redesign of Main Street to make it more pedestrian-friendly, although council members remain unclear on what exactly that would look like.
A more controversial element of the plan involves building a gondola between the Brew Pub lot at the top of Main Street and Deer Valley’s Snow Park base. The project is seen as an opportunity to increase economic activity, as city data shows that most Main Street customers come from Deer Valley.
However, some council members aren’t sold on the idea. In 2020 the city studied a gondola alignment that would have traveled down Deer Valley Drive to Snow Park, but that project was abandoned due to several complications.
Before moving the idea forward, city leaders said they need more information about past gondola feasibility studies, including alternative locations. The city would also need to start a conversation with Deer Valley to engage its interest.
Another contentious part of the proposal is redeveloping a significant portion of Swede Alley with hotels and commercial space. Councilmember Ryan Dickey said it’s a crucial part of the plan, as revenue from new development could help fund other upgrades, like the Main Street redesign.
“When I see a project that has no revenue source, I see that it will never happen,” Dickey said.
But councilmember Jeremy Rubell expressed concerns about the council biting off more than they could chew. He said the city should focus solely on the redevelopment of the China Bridge garage, half of which needs to be replaced in the next decade due to structural deficiencies.
“I’m proposing that we focus on what we could actually achieve,” Rubell said.
A majority of the council was supportive of focusing on the China Bridge property to start.
Consultants working on the Main Street Area Plan will return to the council at a future meeting to discuss the decision making process going forward.
