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Show Developers, Officials Exchange Views On Depot Project Status Pi.--' . ; V'" . V ' I f? ' -! " I jij.l y ' . '. - . ( " f'JS' , ' , t , .' . 4 J i - ,i8 ! V.'. , : I S 'V ... " t. . . - - ,a-tt 1 The fate of the Coalition Mine building is a cause for concern among some city officials. possibility of obtaining grants to help finance the project. Sweeney stressed his commitment commit-ment to the project, that he will be forced to exercise his option to buy the building in the next two years and is scheduled to pay a "substantial amount" by December Decem-ber 15 to keep his option. He said he hoped to resolve any questions from the planning commission when he meets with them January 6 and would probably meet with the city council to "'overcome any confusion." confu-sion." Sweeney also reported he hoped to eventually develop the proposed ski lift from the Coalition to the top of the resort's Payday ski run, and would be submitting a revised plan for the controversial Norfolk Avenue subdivision some time this winter. He emphasized, however, that the Coalition renovation would not hinge on development of the subdivision or ski lift. Little was resolved at a meeting last Friday between developers of the Park City Depot project and members of the city council, planning commission and city staff. The meeting was held in the Trolley Square office of Wally Wright in Salt Lake City to discuss concerns that have arisen among both council and planning commission members that plans for the project have changed since they were originally presented and approved this summer. The developers, Wright, Salt Lake businessman John Prince and local Realtors Bill Coleman and Harry Reed, maintain that only minor changes have been made in their plans and say they need flexibility to develop the project properly. Planning Commission Chairman Chair-man Burnis Watts has questioned, question-ed, however, whether changes in the site- plan and development time schedule nullify any approval appro-val given the project and require the developers to resubmit their plans and start all over again. The main cause of concern is a split between Wright and Prince, who control the Depot area, and Salt Lake stockbroker Jack Sweeney, who has an option on the Coalition mine building. Renovation of the Coalition was a key factor in approving the original plans. Although Sweeney and the Depot developers claim they will work together to develop the Coalition according to the approved ap-proved masterplan, the city council, at the urging of Watts, has requested an opinion from City Attorney Nick Collessides on whether the commercial zoning of the property and approval of the masterplan should be taken away. Plans for the Coalition and Depot would then have to be resubmitted resubmit-ted separately. Coleman told the Record the main result of Friday's meeting was to "open up a good dialogue" between city officials and the developers, but no agreements were reached pending pend-ing the opinion of the city attorney. According to sources, the meeting became heated at times as Wright asked what would the developers could do to satisfy the city without having to start the approval process over again. Watts reportedly repeated his concerns, but never specified what could be done to alleviate them. Saying that he didn't want to see the project designed "by committee," Wright asked the officials to trust him, based on his track record as principle developer develop-er of Trolley Square. Representatives Representa-tives of the city included Watts, Councilmen Eleanor Bennett and Steve Dering, City Planner Dave Preece and City Treasurer Bruce Decker. John Prince reportedly raised the question of a possible lawsuit, saying the developers would have no choice but to sue for their expenses until now if the project came to a halt, since they have been under the impression they were operating within the bounds of the city's approval. According to City Planner Preece, a model of the project in Wright's office differs from the original plan mainly in the positioning of the restored railroad rail-road cars to be used as lodging units. Instead of placing cars on Sweeney's property just south of the Coalition, the model calls for a group of cars north of the mine building and additional cars east and north of the Union Pacific Depot. Preece also reported that the proposed trolley line, which would serve as a shuttle between the Depot and a central parking lot at the northern end of the project, has been relocated away from the Coalition building on the model. According to Coleman, however, how-ever, a specific development plan for next year's construction season, including the exact positioning of the trolley and 11 the train cars, has yet to be decided. Coleman admitted the plans were still "somewhat conceptual," concep-tual," but said the developers are still working "under the same premises" they always have. He confessed that the railroad cars presently located north of the Coalition "looking terrible" but said "any construction site looks bad." He added that restoration of one car on the outside should be completed in the next week, and that all the cars have now been boarded up so they present no safety hazard. Prior to Friday's meeting, Dave Preece and Bruce Decker met with Jack Sweeney, who agreed to meet with the planning commission January 6 to explain his plans for the Coalition. Sweeney told the Record Monday he would be "cordinat-ing "cordinat-ing cooperating with the Depot developers, just as they will with me." Although he is no longer directly involved in the Depot project, Sweeney remains a partner with Prince and Wright in the Park City Slide at the resort. Sweeney said structural studies of the building have been completed, but specific uses for the building have to be decided before architectural plans can be drawn up. He said he hoped to "crystallize" "crystal-lize" plans for the building this winter and begin preliminary restoration work next spring. "If we can figure out our major tenants and directions, we can get going," said Sweeney. The tentative plans include a restaurant, mining museum, and some offices. Sweeney said he hs already discussed the mining museum with Miles Romney, president of United Park City Mines, and has been contacted by several restaurant, chains interested inter-ested in leasing space in the building. He added that he still hoped the trolley line in the Depot project would be connected to the building. Since studies have shown restoration of the Coalition would be an expensive proposition, Sweeney said he is exploring the f V- i . y '. V , i- i 1 V. if.-, . : i .- Jack Sweeney |
