A majority of the Park City Council has killed a controversial proposal for the 5-acre parcel at Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard.
Councilmembers Bill Ciraco, Tana Toly and Diego Zegarra say the city is now being asked to subsidize the project too much: up to $45 million in hotel and lodging tax dollars.
The decision during a special council meeting Friday comes 10 years after the city spent $19.5 million to buy the property with hopes for an arts and culture district.
Toly said she wished the city had stopped the planning process when the Kimball Art Center announced it would move to Kimball Junction last summer.
“We lost our anchor tenant, and we lost the plot,” she said.
But councilmembers Ed Parigian and Molly Miller spoke up in favor of Brinshore Development's designs for housing, businesses and a central park space on the 5 acres.
“I think the haves have spoken, and they don't want the have-nots here in town,” Parigian said. “They don't want them here in town, and that's the most disappointing part about this whole thing, is they will use any excuse — traffic, emergency, evacuation, views, what have you — to stop it.”
He and Miller pushed back strongly against the “More Park, Less City” movement that gained momentum after the council sent Brinshore’s proposal to the city planning commission.
Mayor Ryan Dickey and the council thanked the developer for its efforts and for revising the project over many months of city feedback.
But in a straw poll, the council decided to scrap the project. Next steps are unclear; the council went into a closed session to discuss property acquisition matters after the informal vote.
The decision comes eight months after the council approved preliminary plans and six months after the Park City Planning Commission began reviewing the project.
Brinshore’s latest revisions included cutting one of the seven mixed-use buildings, which would feature retail on the ground floor and mostly affordable housing on top. The change addresses commission concerns that locals wouldn’t know the open space in the middle is public.
The underground parking garage had shrunk to about 230 parking spaces, down from 280.
The two adjacent buildings would extend to keep unit count up. There would be 100 units instead of 106; 88 would still be affordable. At least 100 units are needed to qualify for affordable tax credits.
A childcare, nonprofit arts, cafe and restaurant space were still in the plan, and Brinshore had reduced building heights.
This is a developing story.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
