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Show 7" - ' - . v I v. : if i . - -. I . "V) 'X': --fSi Councilman Eleanor Bennett presents Miner's Hospital proposal while Steve Dering, Mayor Jack Green and Bob Wells consider the alternatives. Council Hears Hospital Proposal A proposal to turn the historic Miner's Hospital over to the city and relocate the building was met with skepticism last week by the Park City council. "It's hard to take seriously," said Mayor Jack Green following a presentation of the proposal by city properties committee chairman chair-man Eleanor Bennett. As reported in an exclusive story by the Record last week, Miner's Hospital owner Monty Gibson is proposing to give the building to the city and pay the cost of relocation, which he estimates at approximately $100, 000, in return for a 25 year lease on the building at its new site and financing arrangements through the city. The relocation would make way for a four story apartmenthotel complex on the Miner's Hospital present site, which Gibson said he hopes to begin building during the upcoming construction season. sea-son. Gibson said he will be forced to demolish the building, which was nominated earlier this month to the National Register of Historic Sites, if he can reach no agreement with the city. Gibson was out of town and unable to attend Thursday's council meeting. Councilman Bennett met with Gibson last Tuesday and reported to the council that the two had discussed the proposal "at length." Noting that "quite a few people care about the Miner's Hospital," Bennett said "others," such as Gibson, "don't give a hoot and would just as soon see it as a pile of rubble." She said the city "is going to have to do something" if it is to save the building, but added that the council will have to "move cautiously." "He seems sincere, but it's quite an undertaking," said Bennett. "We have to determine if there is enough desire to keep lie Miner's Hospital to phenagle .vith this joker." The councilman reported that aibson is only asking use of the :op floors of the building for office pace if it is relocated and leased back to him by the city, leaving the basement and first floor open to possible use by the city. She also questioned whether the city could obtain property adjacent to the abandoned Rio Grande loading station on Park Avenue near the Coalition Mine building, which is owned in part by the LDS church, and suggested suggest-ed a city-owned lot across from the Treasure Mountain Inn as a possible alternative site for relocation. Gibson has mentioned the Park Avenue site as an "ideal" location for the building, since it could tie in with the Park City Depot project now under construction. Utah Historical Society Historian Histor-ian Phil Notarianni, who was instrumental in nominating the Miner's Hospital to the National Register, reported that if the building is moved it would lose it's status on the register and would have to be renominated. It's acceptance on the Register would have no effect on any action Gibson might take, however, how-ever, he said, other than to prevent the owner from taking a tax deduction if he tears the building down. Asked by Mayor Green for the "feeling of the council," councilman council-man Dick Shoff said he didn't think Gibson was "telling everything." every-thing." "I don't even think this is a serious letter," said Shoff. The council agreed to request Gibson's presence at their next meeting to answer their questions and he was ordered placed on their next agenda. City Treasurer Bruce Decker suggested that the council look into the exact cost of relocating the Miner's Hospital and consider paying the moving costs themselves themsel-ves so they could have complete use of the building. Former Mayor John Prince, speaking from the floor, questioned question-ed the $100,000 cost estimate given by Gibson, however. "I don't think $100,000 will do much, I think you're looking at more like $1 million," said Price. "It would be interesting to see where the $100,000 estimate came from." Phil Notarianni also noted that in the process of researching the building's nomination to the National Register, he discovered that ownership was still registered register-ed with the County Recorder in the name of Dr. William Orris, who last operated the hospital as a medical facility. When contacted by the Record, Gibson said he planned to appear before the council at their next meeting, April 6, and answer some of the questions raised at last week's meeting. Gibson said his estimate of the cost of relocating the building was a "rough figure" based on conversations with Merve Tor-rain, Tor-rain, Project Director for the Salt Lake City construction firm John Price Associates; no relation to Park City's former Mayor. Torrain estimated the cost at $20 per square foot, putting the total figure for moving the 6000 square foot structure at between $100,000 and $130,000, Gibson said. Although he had earlier said the building would be moved in three pieces, Gibson said Monday it would have to be "taken apart . brick by brick and rebuilt brick by brick" because of deterioration due to its age. Gibson said if no agreement was reached with the city, he would dissassemble the building and "store" it somewhere until an arrangement can be worked out to reconstruct it. "I don't want to make the building into a pile of rubble, but I would rather not have it cluttering up my life," he said. "There's no way I can afford to let it stay where it is." Gibson also said the recorded ownership of the property has been changed in the last several weeks. He explained that Dr. Orris, who died last year, held the mortgage on the property following follow-ing it's sale to Gibson in 1975 and remained the recorded owner with the county. Gibson said he recently arranged arrang-ed for a new lender for the -mortgage, however, and settled the matter with Dr. Orris' estate. |
