This Is the Place office building?
By Amelia Nielson-Stowell
Deseret Morning News
An events center has been ruled out, but the final say on whether an office building can be constructed at This Is the Place Heritage Park is up to the state parks and recreation board.
Deseret Morning News graphic
After six months of studying the viability of putting a 9,000-square-foot events center and 12 acres of office space on the living history park, board members of This Is the Place Foundation took their final votes Monday on what to allow. Each of the two projects could bring a much-needed $400,000 per year to the park — a total of $800,000.
But the board turned down the events center and gave a positive recommendation to the state for a land lease, which would be used to build the 12-acre addition to the University of Utah's Research Park.
Residents of Salt Lake City's east bench, however, are not happy with the proposed plan.
"This area up here is one of the last open spaces in the city. And we're going to open it up to office space," said Bryan Jensen, a trustee of the Sunnyside East Neighborhood Association. "Pretty soon, we just have Research Park Two instead of This Is the Place state park."
Last March, the state-owned park received $2 million in one-time cash from the Legislature to keep it afloat after mounting debt nearly forced it to close. The park's leadership was also revamped after the financial disaster, and it has been turning a profit since November.
The new board has been looking at ways to make money, and the events center and land lease for office space were the two ideas that would bring in the biggest profit.
That 50-year lease would be to Associated Regional and University Pathologists (ARUP) for an administrative building and parking lot that could be built on an empty field some 900 feet away from the Brigham Young farmhouse.
"I'm on the front lines in my costume, and I don't want anything around. I want to be back 150 years," said Terrell Dougan, a park board member and character volunteer.
But expenses are not as they were in 1847, she added.
"For me, as a person sitting here, as a person trying to interpret history, it will honestly not bother me," she said.
Ellis Ivory, chairman of the board, said the park does not need more space for buildings. A large chunk of the 43 buildings on-site are already closed during the peak season. Ivory is also chairman of the Deseret Morning News Board of Directors.
"We really do care about this neighborhood. I think right now there are questions, but it's such a natural way to get that support," Ivory said of the land lease. "It won't ruin the park, the aesthetics."
Some neighbors are concerned with federal ramifications. But board members assured them they have looked into all the potential legal scenarios with regard to leasing state-owned land.
Jensen, who spoke on behalf of Sunnyside East residents, criticized the park's financial past and questioned why the board is just now looking to make money.
"This lease is going to give them $400,000 a year to the $2.5 million budget, and they're saying this lease is going to fix everything?" he said.
Jensen thinks the park should offer classes and more activities related to the cultural nature of the park to make money.
Jensen said he spoke to the Yale Crest Neighborhood Association just last week about the park's proposed development and said he thinks the community and state will regret such a massive development on state-owned land.
"Ultimately, I hope the public can have more voice in the future of This Is the Place state park," he said.
The Division of State Parks and Recreation board meets on April 20 in St. George to make a decision on the land lease. In mid-April, division director Mary Tullius said, the board will host a public hearing about the matter in Salt Lake City.
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