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Show ... ..... ·--··-···· ···' 1rri ,LOCAL NEWS ~ . l ~ ·---·- - THE UNIVERS1T¥ JO'URNAL • SOU'FHER'N U1'AB UNIVERSin • FRIDAY, MAY 15', 1998 ·- -- J Proposed Heritage project would aid SUU By GLENN HALTERMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER It's not a t heme park. Really, it's not. It's also no longer•a mystery what plans the Heritage Institute has for thousands of acres it has optioned in the Cedar and Parowan valleys of southern Utah. After weeks of speculation by the media and the general public, members of the Heritage Institute, a 20-year-old, non-profit philanthropic organization based in St. George, officially disclosed information regarding what exactly is in store for the area. "This project will be, without question, as well known in the world as Disney and as well known in . the world as Universal [Studios!," said Clark Powell, chairman of the Heritage Institute and the brains behind the proposed project known as Cinnamon River. In a statement by David Cooper, project spokesperson and partner in the marketing and public relations firm of Cooper & Vochelli, Inc., based in Los AnJ?eles, it was indicated that among the various components of Cinnamun River wil! be a Western Renaissance Cultural, Educational, and Training Center. The Center, along with a separate airport project, will be financed with private funds, and will include numerous theatres and a grand museum. "Museum is a very loose word," said Powell. "This is not going to even come close to identifying what this thing is going to be. This is a 200,000 square foot building and it's going to be live; and it's going to teach; and it's going to train. And when you look down at the floor you're going to see the Grand Canyon; you're going to know you're in these national parks. It will be the greatest artistic experience you will ever encounter." In conjunction with the museum, to be built in southern. Utah, a statue will be created depicting a Wells Fargo stage. coach being drawn by a team of six horses with an additional outrider. The statue, which, when completed, will be tho largest continuous bronze sculpture in the world, will be sculpted by Stan Johnson, who currently resides in Parowan. "He's the best artist in the world," said Powell, who estimated that between two and-a-half million and five million people will see the piece annually. To accommodate construction of the approximately 50 foot-high, 20 foot-wide, 165 foot-long statue, which is expected to take about two years to complete, a large foundry is currently scheduled to be built in Parowan. "The foundry there is going to be the most modem, up-to-date, computerized bronze foundry in the world," Powell said. "It will have a capacity for the university to do what happened in the Renaissance Period. That's to teach and to train and to help these artists get their works completed and shown and sold. There is no such foundry in the country." Johnson said that the foundry would be made available to SUU art students. "We are going to create a new Renaissance Period," said Powell, who indicated the art housed in the museum will be that of artists around the state and region. Cooper said in his statement that the project has been in the planning stages for about six years, when more than two dozen individuals came together with substantial experience in professional real estate, art acquisition and philanthropic endeavors came together. He also indicated that the southern Utah area was chosen due to the proximity of the great national and state parks throughout the region, and the concentration of beauty the region affords visitors. The principles behind this plan, Cooper said, have made a commitment that a major portion of the earnings from the museum will go to the College of Visual and Performing Arts at SUU and to other worthwhile projects and activities within the communities of southern Utah. doesn't deal with anything else except the arts, and we're going to support that to death. Because we believe this community has done the best job of any community with the Shakespearean Festival, the arts, and the university, we're going to give it the money and the support (it needs and deserves)." Powell said he hopes Cinnamon River will be able to be functional within the next couple of years. "That's what we're working towards," he said. How do proponents plan to meet such an optimistic time schedule? "We're going to hire the best contractor in the world-Turner," said Powell. At the same time, work on an international airport, a totally separate project from the education training center and museum, will also be under way, according to officials at the Heritage Institute. However, it is unclear whether a simultaneous completion of the two projects will be possible. Cooper said that Heritage Institute and its executive director, Don Steed, "have long realized that the future growth of southern Utah would be inextricably tied to its accessibility by the air. As such, Mr. Steed has been and continues to be supportive of private individuals in developing a modern airport capable of spurring high technology growth and jobs for Utah citizens.,: Although the airport will be located several miles from downtown Cedar City and significant population centers, project officials have anticipated concerns regarding noise pollution. To act as a buffer to the engine noise from residential developments, Jim Buell, the airport project coordinator, said an airpark is planned around the airport which can be developed for high-tech facilit'ies. He also said opportunities for golf are planned for the airport area. ''.It will take the Concorde; it will take the 747," said Powell of the airport. "We can be the example airport of the world." Although it won't be built with public monies, the airport's ultimate fate may, in fact, lie with a government agency. Officials said that once the airport is built it will not be privately owned, but will be given to the city, county or controlled by a commission of elected or appointed officials. "The community needs to have control of this so it doesn't become an entrepreneurial position of us versus them," said Powell. Iron County's employment market is likely to be significantly impacted by the development of the airport and Cinnamon River, during and after their and that piece will stop them in their tracks." construction. Powell also pointed 09t that about 70 percent of "We'll use every bit of local talent we can for the visitors to national parks are foreign tourists. "To not next five years, or longer," said Powell. "We're going think of non-stop flights from Paris to Cedar City to to try to use every contractor, every carpenter, and see the Grand Canyon is foolish," said Powell. "They're coming from all over the world here ...That is that's. our job-to make sure that this force of people is put to work in these projects if they want to. There not going to stop." will be so much to do it's unbelievable." "The economics are sound," he added, "very "Cinnamon River could conceivably employ 500· sound." plus people and could be a very good source of The Heritage Institute also indicated it has some of employment for the student population," said the best experts in the fields of theatre and Heritage Institute partner Bill DeCinces. entertainment working closely with them and have Powell also expressed his belief in and support of already contacted personalities such as Whitney free, private enterprise and the importance of Houston, Garth Brooks, and Reba MacEntire about initiative in an undertaking like Cinnamon River. performing at Cinnamon River. And though the overall estimated cost of the projects "Our musical entertainment facilities will be a has not been disclosed, Powell and others, anticipate a touch of class,"" said Powell. "The theaters are going return on their investment which will reap amazing to have the top talents in the world: the top country benefits for the area and its citizens. western; we're going to have the choral groups, we're "I think this kind of money has to have a purpose," going to have the Riverdance group from Ireland that's said Powell. "I think this project has a purpose. It's done a magnificent job of showing us about what going to make us the cultural center of the western happens in music and dance. We are going to be so United States because we can give scholarships; we creative in that field." can give donations to the university; we can be handMany have rumored that Cinnamon River is in-glove with them and deal with all the foreign designed to be another Branson, Missouri. Powell, people that are going to come." however, has tried to dispel that notion. "We're ·a group of people that don't think about this "It is not a country western theatre center," he said, as a dream," Powell said. "We're not thinking about it "but we'll have that. That's part of it." as a proposal. It's going to happen." "Our project deals with the arts," said Powell. "It "The only way you can get something like this done is to believe you can do it," Powell said. "The only way you can get it done is not to criticize it. It's something that will be so magnificent for Southern Utah University. Tt has one goal and I want everybody to believe it and to understand it. Cinnamon River will make enough money to put almost every scholarship there to shame. And we'll make it from the rest of the world coming to see this magnificent art." "It's going to be a world of realism," Powell continued. "It's going to be our western artists getting the same opportunity that the Michaelangelos, the Leonardos and the other people of the world got. Those people were just as blessed. We want to give back. We're not going to send it to Clinton. We're going to give our money out of this project to this community." There bas been concern voiced by some that Cinnamon River may ultimately fail like the Tuacah n Center for the Arts in Washington County. However, Powell said that economic experts have studied the proposal and have found that this should not be the case. ::ies the mcgt fantastic economic play in the whole country," he said, "because of the fact that we alre:.dy know that the people are coming. We know how to get them. We're just going to reroute the buses ...That piece of art is going to stop them. You've got a highway out here with 15 or 16 million people on it 'Cinnamon River w ill make enough money to put .a lmost every scholarship fat SUUifi to shame,' said Heritage Institute Chai.Pm.rm CClark Powell. |