The DeJoria Center is named for John Paul DeJoria, the co-owner of High Star Ranch with Kevin Lange. Now the businessmen are selling the events center.
Gary Raymond, the owners’ asset manager, says the DeJoria Center is under contract with a buyer who proposes replacing it with a hotel.
The Summit County Assessor’s Office values the building and land at almost $16 million, but neither the buyer nor the purchase price are public yet. Utah does not require real estate purchase prices to be public.
Raymond told KPCW July 15 he expects the purchase to close in a matter of days. He has organized a handful of meetings with homeowners in the High Star Ranch development.
“So that we can kind of keep them informed about what we're doing, but more importantly, to hear from the homeowners kind of what their aspirations and what their desires are for the community,” he said.
One homeowner, Sanford Melville, advised caution at the July 8 Kamas City Council meeting.
“I'd really like to encourage council, as approvals potentially come forward for this project, to really conservatively interpret the development agreement and really hold the developer to what he agreed to in the development agreement,” Melville said.
Raymond told KPCW the development agreement allows up to 150 hotel units. The 9,600-square-foot events center is set up as a concert hall, not with individual hotel rooms, so the new buyer would need to tear it down or heavily remodel it.
When asked by Councilmember David Darcey, Melville said he does like the DeJoria Center as it stands.
“The idea of having a boutique hotel there or something, I think that's fine with most of the residents out there,” Melville said. “Some of us are concerned about a 150-room hotel, and how the change that would be to the whole community.”
The DeJoria Center, State Road Tavern restaurant and Country Store and Café all closed in December 2024. The then-general manager said the Dejoria Center’s large size made it expensive to operate.
The businesses are amenities within the wider High Star Ranch, a luxury living community on the north side of Kamas with homesites and trails.
Home construction paused in 2023 while the owners considered selling the entire ranch. Only the event center parcel is currently under contract.
Raymond says he’s working with the current owners to resume home construction within about a month.
High Star Ranch is a financial supporter of KPCW. For a full list, click here.
