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Show Marsac hotel plan is still in the works ... i by CHRISTOPHER SMART . Record staff writer The Park City Redevelopment Agency's plan to build a major hotel on the old Marsac Mill site was kept alive last week when a Chicago developer unexpectedly presented preliminary architectural plans to the board in time to meet a contractual deadline. First National Realty and Development Develop-ment Company was required by the terms of a contract to demonstrate to the Redevelopment Authority (RDA) board by May 30 that it was proceeding with plans to . build a 250-room hotel. As proposed, the structure would be located north of the Marsac Municipal Building between Swede Alley and Marsac Avenue. Amid speculation that Demetrios Dela Portis would not meet the deadline, his son, Peter Dela Portis, arrived at the RDA board's May 30 meeting with schematics and preliminary prelim-inary architectural plans in hand. According to the artist's rendering, the planned hotel will be built north of a 200-space parking structure. Both the hotel and parking terrace will be built into the hillside, mitigating height impacts, according to plans. In exchange for the RDA's land on the mill site, First National Realty is required to build the parking garage . as well as about 180 parking stalls to serve the hotel. The RDA estimates the value of each parking stall at $10,000, making the garage worth $2 million. The city council, which also sits as the RDA board, was visibly pleased with the proposed plan. The RDA board asked Dela Portis to bring a scale model of the proposal back to Park City within 60 days. Representing First National Realty in Park City is local real estate broker Peter Alvarez, who told ' the RDA board a construction start is planned for 1986. "He's very committed to the project," Alvarez said of the senior Dela Portis. Alvarez estimated the 250-room hotel would cost about $37 million. City Councilman Tom Shellenber-ger, Shellenber-ger, who has been skeptical of the project, said he viewed the plan with new optimism. Nine months ago Shellenberger sent the developer back to the drawing board when he proposed a structure 70 feet high. At that time Shellenberger, as well as Councilmen Al Horrigan and Jim Doilney, said the plan was too large for Old Town. But Shellenberger said last week that the plans, as presented, would not adversely impact the area. "I was the biggest critic (of the Marsac Hotel project), but if this (schematic) is accurate, I like it more all the time," he said. City Planner John Eskelin said the firm's architect was trying to follow the restrictions laid down by the RDA board when it agreed to give First National Realty the option on the parcel last fall. He added it will be "extremely helpful" to the architect to know that the RDA board approves of the preliminary design. |