Proposal for Utah Olympic Park hotel may be on the horizon

The Summit County Commission has voted against a proposal for a 275,000-square-foot hotel near Park City, and the denial could open options for the development to relocate on 30 acres at the state-built Utah Olympic Park.

County Commissioner Sally Elliott said Thursday that a "reasonable proposal" could be "very well conceived and possibly be approved there."

"We're certainly not opposed to hotels," she said of the commission's Wednesday vote. "It's the size and scope and impact on community and compliance with code that we're most concerned about."

Chicago-based Terrace Development originally proposed a 140-room hotel at the Sun Peak housing development, just north of the Olympic Park. However, the developer later submitted new plans for a massive 140-condominium structure, with nearly twice the square footage of the original plan. County officials indicated the unit would not be approved because of its size, and the developers started shopping elsewhere.

The second location at the Olympic Park was proposed during the 2006 Legislature, but the session ended before lawmakers took final action. Leaders of the Utah Athletic Foundation, which now owns and operates the park, want developers to build a 330-room hotel on 30 acres.

It could bring some much-needed revenue for the private foundation, which is currently some $20 million to $30 million in the red. The park, located near Kimball Junction, was home to bobsled, skeleton, luge and ski-jumping competitions during the 2002 Winter Games.

"I would like very much to bring vitality, energy, enthusiasm and economic development to the park," Elliott said.

Because former Gov. Mike Leavitt placed commercial-development conditions on the site in 1994, approval for the hotel must be granted by legislators. Supporters are now hoping the it will be considered during an upcoming special session.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who controls both when lawmakers are called into special session and what they can consider, said Thursday he wasn't ready to say whether or not the needed approval for the hotel would make the agenda.

"I wouldn't want to comment on it yet until I develop some body of knowledge," Huntsman said, noting he was aware of the issue.

An official and attorney with Terrace Development did not return telephone calls seeking comment on Thursday.

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E-mail: astowell@desnews.com Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche.