Development director Pat Sweeney said plans for the Heber Valley Arts Center have been in the works for a decade. She said the idea sparked when members of the Wasatch Arts Council asked local groups what they most needed.
“To a person, they needed performance space, art space, display space for gallery arts – because we have groups that are performing in a high school cafeteria, in a town center, in a renovated 1900 building,” she said. “So, they needed someplace with lights, camera and action more than anything.”
Now, the group has land to make that dream a reality.
The developers constructing Jordanelle Ridge donated 44 acres of land to Heber City for an arts district. In December 2023, Heber City leaders gave four acres of that land to Sweeney and her group – offering them a lease of $1 per year for 50 years, with the option to renew for another 25 years.
The Heber Valley Arts Center group will start by constructing a 3,500-seat amphitheater.
“If I could say it in one word, it’s fun,” Sweeney said. “It’s attractive. And we are looking at designs that include fire pits for seating. So, you know, you’d have a group of six, you’re sitting there on a lovely evening overlooking the Timpanogos mountains, and you don’t have to bring a blanket to warm up. You’re sitting there, and it’s like being in your living room watching somebody perform for you.”
Design takes around six to eight months, and construction will take about a year, according to the group’s president, Phil Jordan.
He said he hopes to break ground on the amphitheater about a year from now and have the space operational by spring 2028.
Jordan said the group’s larger goal is to build a structure with a range of arts spaces to complement the amphitheater and the adjacent Utah Valley University Wasatch campus.
“The building that we wish to build is 55,000 square feet, which accommodates a 700-seat flexible theater, community room, space for rehearsals, gallery space for artists,” he said.
Jordan said they’re hoping to attract performances similar to what people might see at the Egyptian Theater in Park City or at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City.
To make it all happen, Sweeney said the group is working to fundraise $80 million. Of that, about $22 million will go to the amphitheater.
“That’s kind of a daunting figure, but I really do think it’s accomplishable,” she said. “We have a lot of money between Summit and Wasatch counties, as well as some very philanthropic organizations, some family trusts and legacy groups that are out there.”
She said people can visit the Heber Valley Arts Center website to learn more about the plans.
