I support the Arts and Culture District because of the life-changing opportunities it will bring to: 1) established artists, 2) up & coming artists, 3) the kids of Park City and 4) people who didn't even know that they are artists. Yes, the project is getting more expensive but that's not because of mismanagement or the city's inexperience in designing and building a world-class arts and culture district as some have suggested. It's because building materials have grown so expensive over the last year. For a long time, a 2x4 at Home Depot was around $2-3 and now it's $6-7. That's a 3X increase. Instead of flat out saying no, can we all work together to figure out ways to make it less expensive? It is true that if the project is built in phases, the total cost becomes more expensive, but phasing also allows the district to evolve and shift in the direction needed. In my experience, that's the way the most successful arts districts are established and thrive.
I have reservations about the Arts & Culture District project, for 2 reasons,
1. Cost. The estimated costs of the project have been rising sharply, and seem likely to rise further. I doubt we can be confident about what the final cost will be. The School District is about to embark on major expenses and, while it's a different entity, any bond financing conducted by the City or the School District will have to be serviced by the same taxpayers.
2. Traffic/Congestion. The roads are becoming regularly so congested that planning one's time to conduct everyday business is now essential. Whether it's grocery shopping, visiting the doctor or getting kids to the UOP for training, the amount of traffic impairs the quality of life. The base development at PCMR and the Dakota project at Kimball Junction will add further pressure on the roads. The Mayflower resort and the various development projects at Heber and Hideout will also put more strain on the City's infrastructure. The Arts and Culture District will make Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard even worse choke points and will choke the corridor between the District and Old Town. And the bus service simply cannot help in this regard in the absence of dedicated bus lanes, whose exclusivity is enforced.
Overall I doubt that the benefits this project will bring will be enough to offset the large financial and quality-of-life costs it will impose on residents.
I support the Arts and Culture District because of the life-changing opportunities it will bring to: 1) established artists, 2) up & coming artists, 3) the kids of Park City and 4) people who didn't even know that they are artists. Yes, the project is getting more expensive but that's not because of mismanagement or the city's inexperience in designing and building a world-class arts and culture district as some have suggested. It's because building materials have grown so expensive over the last year. For a long time, a 2x4 at Home Depot was around $2-3 and now it's $6-7. That's a 3X increase. Instead of flat out saying no, can we all work together to figure out ways to make it less expensive? It is true that if the project is built in phases, the total cost becomes more expensive, but phasing also allows the district to evolve and shift in the direction needed. In my experience, that's the way the most successful arts districts are established and thrive.
I have reservations about the Arts & Culture District project, for 2 reasons,
1. Cost. The estimated costs of the project have been rising sharply, and seem likely to rise further. I doubt we can be confident about what the final cost will be. The School District is about to embark on major expenses and, while it's a different entity, any bond financing conducted by the City or the School District will have to be serviced by the same taxpayers.
2. Traffic/Congestion. The roads are becoming regularly so congested that planning one's time to conduct everyday business is now essential. Whether it's grocery shopping, visiting the doctor or getting kids to the UOP for training, the amount of traffic impairs the quality of life. The base development at PCMR and the Dakota project at Kimball Junction will add further pressure on the roads. The Mayflower resort and the various development projects at Heber and Hideout will also put more strain on the City's infrastructure. The Arts and Culture District will make Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard even worse choke points and will choke the corridor between the District and Old Town. And the bus service simply cannot help in this regard in the absence of dedicated bus lanes, whose exclusivity is enforced.
Overall I doubt that the benefits this project will bring will be enough to offset the large financial and quality-of-life costs it will impose on residents.