On Thursday the Park City Council approved a nearly $5 million contract for construction services to redesign Homestake Road, which runs between Fresh Market and Walgreens, connecting Park Avenue to Kearns Boulevard near the Kimball Art Center.
The project involves adding a new 12-foot multi-use path on the south side of the road and a new 6-foot sidewalk on the north. Other improvements include better defined on-street parking and several new landscape islands.
Homestake Road is located in the center of the Bonanza Park neighborhood, an area that Park City officials are seeking to redevelop so that it’s more walkable, livable and vibrant. The roadway redesign comes as a new affordable housing development called Engine House is slated to open on Homestake Road later this year.
Councilmember Ryan Dickey was excited about moving forward with the project Thursday.
“This is a big milestone,” Dickey said. “This street has felt unsafe to anybody who had anything to do with it, as a pedestrian and even in a car, since the day I moved here. So it’s awesome that we’re pushing this work to a contract.”
City staff told the council construction is expected to begin as early as the end of April and should be complete by the end of October.
Park City Manager Matt Dias warned that there will be impacts.
“This one will be disruptive,” Dias said. “It’s a heavily utilized commercial, residential area. It’s going to be dusty. There’s going to be trucks everywhere. The team is scared to death about it.”
Dias said the city plans to hold project open houses to keep residents informed.
Parkites have often criticized the city’s lack of action in redeveloping Bonanza Park. Councilmember Jeremy Rubell said the Homestake Road project represents a move forward.
“When people say nothing’s going on in Bonanza Park, here’s a great example that lots is going on,” Rubell said. “Really terrible grammar, but you know what I mean.”
On Thursday the council also approved a $1 million contract to build a new path along Ability Way, near the National Ability Center headquarters in Quinns Junction. Ability Way will also be redesigned with new travel lanes for vehicles.
