Sandy lifts curtain on theater
City has both funding and developer in place
Sandy has been studying the issue for about a year and a half and has the funding in place for a development near 10100 South and 250 West that would include a theater.
"We have a project that is ready to get under way, and we have a developer to do it," said Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan.
In addition to the theater, the project will include 850,000 square feet of office space, 600 high-rise condominiums and 300,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space, according to documents made public Tuesday.
A feasibility study for the theater prepared by New-York based Webb Management Services. Inc. was publicly released during a Tuesday city council meeting. The study found that a Broadway theater would be feasible anywhere in the Salt Lake Valley.
During the meeting, Councilman Stephen Smith expressed concern that the study did not compare Sandy to other areas of the valley, especially in light of the fact that Salt Lake County is in the process of commissioning a feasibility study on that issue.
"There's going to be an argument made that location is the factor," he said. "I don't want to get in a spitting match with the county."
If that study finds a theater would work, it would then identify the best place to build, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said.
Corroon said he'd build the theater in Sandy, if the county study said that's the best place to build.
Dolan and Sandy City Assistant Manager reassured Smith that they weren't trying to battle the county, but were excited to move forward based on the fact that they had been approached by a developer. Both said they'd be willing to work with the county.
"I believe that there could be a theater in both (downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy) and both of them could be successful," added Councilman Bryant Anderson, who took a trip to Chicago to see competing Broadway theaters there.
The theater to be built in Sandy could seat between 2,500 and 2,800 guests, according to Sandy's study. It is expected to be a profit-making enterprise not subsidized by taxpayers.
Sandy first considered supporting a theater when it was approached by Utah County developer Scott McQuarrie in 2006, Dolan said. The city was concerned about finding funding but has done its homework and learned that the developer is capable of building the theater himself, Dolan said.
The theater will be partially funded by property tax money it is allowed to keep. It may also receive funds from the sale of naming rights.
"We've done our due diligence," Bond said.
Recent comments
Regarding Sandy Councilman Bryant Anderson's comments on Feb....
Ivan M. Lincoln | Feb. 22, 2008 at 9:36 p.m.
Wicked is coming to Utah in April of 2009 and it will be posted to...
Taylor | Feb. 21, 2008 at 1:12 p.m.
From what I have read the Sandy project is a privately funded enterprise...
Jpjazz | Feb. 20, 2008 at 11:22 p.m.
