An audit of heritage park?

Several state legislators are pushing for a legislative audit of This Is the Place Heritage Park to explore whether a private foundation is the best way to manage the historical site.

Rep. Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, who is a Salt Lake City mayoral candidate, is leading the effort. Other prominent legislators also have given their backing, including Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem; Senate Minority Whip Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake; and Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake.

Becker will make a formal request and motion to go through with the audit during June's Executive Appropriations or Legislative Management Committee meetings. Because the legislative auditor already has a backlog of work, the legislative fiscal analyst would perform the park's audit.

"We'll ask that they pursue a study for us on This Is the Place, what funding needs are, what options are for getting that funding completed and what the future direction of the park should be," Becker said. "They haven't really been able to be successful. So we need to take a step back and try to make a sustainable effort at This Is the Place."

The completed audit would be presented to legislators during the 2008 session.

The park received a one-time grant of $2 million from the state Legislature last February to keep it afloat after mounting debt had nearly forced the park to close its doors. The foundation that runs the park was then revamped, and retired housing developer Ellis Ivory was made chairman of the board of directors. Ivory is also chairman of the Deseret Morning News board of directors.

To generate some much-needed revenue, the park's board in March recommended leasing 12 acres at the east corner of the heritage park to the University of Utah's research park, for $400,000 a year.

But residents, donors and local leaders — including the Salt Lake City Council — vocally opposed the lease and the loss of east-bench open space. The heritage park's board then voted in April to halt the plan and look at other funding sources, such as open-space bond money from Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, money from the transient room tax and increased state appropriations.

The park already receives $700,000 or $800,000 in annual state funding and got $50,000 this year from the county's Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP) fund.