The Park City Council voted Thursday night to approve a new venue for the Sundance Film Festival, in a commercial space near Park Avenue.
The council approved a venue for 950 Iron Horse Drive—the vacant commercial space next to Rite Aid.
The space was for many years a Blockbuster Video.
Now, according to Sundance Institute Managing Director Betsy Wallace, it will be used as a merchandising store in the months leading up to the festival.
“So, it’s where we’ll sell Sundance Film Festival merchandise that is going to be available through the festival but we’ll make it available to the public before the festival starts.” Wallace explained, “We didn’t have it available for sale really before the festival started. We had a little bit over Christmas, but it was not a prevalent merchandise store. So, this is really putting out stake in the ground a little bit earlier than the festival starts.”
She said the store won’t operate during the festival.
“The merchandise store would close and then we’d open it up for events and for exhibition work. It really would be from the two months ahead of time and then a month and a half after the festival is over with.” Wallace continued, “Not a theater venue.”
The space will have exhibits, but she said that’s not to be confused with the New Frontier section.
“It’s not the home for New Frontier. That’s still at the bottom of The Ray. We do exhibition work in addition to the New Frontier and that is that piece.” Wallace said, “It’s a smaller piece for sure.”
A more detailed Supplemental Plan for the space will come forward later this fall.