The Historic Preservation Board reviewed a proposal Wednesday to demolish and reconstruct the property at 176 Main Street using salvaged and replacement materials.
The home, previously known as the Centennial House and the Durkin Boarding House, was built around 1900.
Several board members expressed excitement at seeing a proposal for the property, which has been vacant for some time.
Park City chief building official Dave Thacker said the property was previously condemned and has a failing floor and roof.
“That condemnation is not just related to livability at this point,” Thacker said. “It’s also related to the structural integrity of the home.”
Board member Dalton Gackle called reconstruction a “last resort” and questioned if there was any other viable path forward for the home.
“I don’t know that it’s up for too much debate that there really isn’t much integrity left,” Gackle said.
Board chair Douglas Stephens asked if there was a way to preserve more of the building in the process.
“I’m not seeing a restoration in what is being presented to us,” Stephens said. “I think I’m going to be more confused by this building being torn down and reconstructed. I’m not going to be able to tell what’s old and what’s new.”
He said he worried about pushback from the community with the high visibility of the Old Town property.
Along with Stephens, other board members requested additional information about the full potential of the home’s restoration.
They also asked the lead architect to redesign plans so the home resembles the early 1900s version, rather than how it looked after renovations in the 1970s.
Instead of voting down the project, the board continued project discussions to its meeting June 4.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
