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Show Memorial Building considered as home for Institute of Arts by Nan Chalat The concept of a Park City Institute of Arts and Sciences is still very much alive. Last May, the city and Deer Valley were unable to purchase the Carl Winters Middle School from the Board of Education as a home for the Institute. But they now are looking at the possibility of locating the Institute in the Memorial Building. i In an interview with Park Record reporter Randy Han-skat, Han-skat, Royal Street President Edgar Stern acknowledged that although the middle school would have been an ideal location for the Institute, Insti-tute, the Memorial Building is an excellent alternative. A study to determine the feasibility and cost of re novating the Memorial Building to include the necessary classrooms and performance space is underway, under-way, according to City Manager Arlene Loble. "It is an interesting idea from the city's point of view, but at this point it is only that," said Loble. The city's primary concern, con-cern, said Loble, is to ensure that the Recreation Department Depart-ment activities and other functions held in the Memorial Mem-orial Building will havo an appropriate home if moved to make room for the Institute, Loble emphasized. "The Memorial Building has a lot of historic and emotional emotion-al significance in Park City and we want to be absolutely sure that whatever happens it will be put to public use," said Loble. The city is currently looking at how the Memorial Building is used now, and whether some of the activities would be compatible with the facilities facili-ties at the proposed institute. Dance classes, for instance, could be held at the new facility, while basketball games and other gymnasium gym-nasium activities could possibly pos-sibly be moved to the schools, Loble suggested. The first suggestion of establishing a Park City Institute of Arts and Sciences was made in 1969. Mayor Jack Green was one of the earliest proponents of the project which was to have received initial funding from the University of Utah Division of Continuing Education. The Institute was funded for approximately five years until federal monies were diverted to other uses. Although Mayor Green still held on to his dream, it was not formally proposed again until this year. Last' May, the Park City Municipal Munici-pal Corporation and Deer Valley joined forces to try to make the Institute a reality. They approached the Park City Board of Education with an offer to trade property for the vacated Carl Winters Middle School and its adjacent playing field. The Board refused the offer. In response, Edgar Stern said "It was quite a blow, but it has not put an end to our hopes." Stern has served as the president of the board of directors for the Aspen Music Festival. |