From Deseret News archives:

Would 2 theaters rejuvenate downtown?

Renovation, new venue proposed by consultants

Published: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006 9:20 p.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Renovating a downtown theater and building Salt Lake City's largest stage could rejuvenate downtown, consultants told the City Council on Tuesday night.

The two theaters would anchor a downtown arts district stretching from the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center on 300 South to Abravanel Hall on South Temple. Chicago-based HVS Consultants said that would create more nightlife and a selling point for the city.

Salt Lake City has "a real potential to be an example in how to include (theaters) in the larger planning process downtown," consultant Hans Detlefsen said during Tuesday's council meeting. "We usually get hired to look at one building."

The potential additions to downtown would come from a 800- to 1,400-seat theater — possibly a renovated Utah Theatre on Main Street — and a new 2,400-seat theater that could host first-run Broadway musicals and larger crowds for ballet and opera shows. It is not known where the larger theater would be built.

Detlefsen and his colleague Thomas Hazinski, who looked at education and incomes of Salt Lake residents and others who lived within 50 miles of the city, determined that a high demand for classical music and musical theater would support two new stages.

Story continues below
"Can we build two new facilities that won't steal a single ticket away from any other facility? The answer is 'no,' " Detlefsen said. "They're going to compete. Can they position themselves successfully . . . in a downtown area as part of a cultural district, then yes."

Adding those two theaters would come with a price tag, either for the city or the county, which manages Capitol Theatre, home of Utah Opera and Ballet West. The smaller of the two new theaters would cost between $130,000 and $150,000 to operate each year, which doesn't take into account the initial cost of renovating the Utah Theatre. The larger theater likely would pay for itself and make around $300,000 a year, said Dave Oka, executive director of the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency.

"Ballet and opera almost never make money," Oka said. "But it becomes a quality-of-life issue: Do you want museums and ballet that add to the quality of life?"

A past estimate from Daniel Coffey, another consultant who worked on the study, said that converting the Utah Theatre into a 2,500-seat auditorium — as owner Howa Construction had planned — would cost around $63 million. Altering it to the smaller 800- to 1,400-seat theater would cost around $30 million, Coffey told the City Council in December.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image
Deseret Morning News graphic

previousnext

Latest comments

Max Hall issues apology

"...Last year at RES my family was spit on, had beer dumped on them, and were...

Hall's pain reflects self betrayal

This is why few people read your column.

I am happy to see an actual apology (and clarification) rather than the...

Hall mouths off about hate of Utah

I am disapointed that so many have excused or worse condoned the hateful...

Max Hall issues apology

if i was him and had that kind of stuff happen to my family i would probably...

It didn't take anything away from the victory for me - I still think this...

I think the Aggies will have a great shot at a bowl game next year. This...

I wish Bronco had the courage to reprimand Max Hall !!! Instead we get a...

Hall mouths off about hate of Utah

I am sure glad I took the U of U job. BCS 1 - 0

Max Hall issues apology

Fans of every sport of every team all over the world take sports WAAAAAY to...

Advertisements