Study evaluates cultural facilities

The findings of an exhaustive, yearlong study that inventoried and evaluated Salt Lake County's current cultural facilities, and formulated a framework for future arts needs, was formally presented to the County Council Tuesday.

The Cultural Facilities Master Plan used information gathered in looking at more than 130 countywide facilities, telephone interviews of county residents, a Web-based survey and hundreds of discussions with arts stakeholders, government officials and community leaders. It was done to articulate a plan for the future expansion and development of theaters, performance spaces and cultural centers throughout Salt Lake County.

Doug Willmore, Mayor Peter Corroon's chief administrative officer, said it is the county's wish that the plan provide a guidance mechanism for development of current and future facilities.

"We would hope that this plan will influence projects as they're being developed," Willmore said. "And, provide an overarching vision to set the tone for the future of arts facilities."

The study and resultant master plan by California-based AMS Planning and Research (an arts and entertainment consulting firm) produced a list of 15 master plan priority projects, evaluated the county in five geographic "planning areas" and suggested the creation of a support program to evaluate new projects based on eligibility, readiness and evaluation (all based on criteria outlined in the master plan.)

Salt Lake City, recognized as the county's cultural core in the report, hosts seven of the 15 listed top projects and six of those are located in the downtown area. The Salt Lake Chamber lauded AMS for reaffirming Salt Lake's central role in the realm of arts and culture, and agreed with the report's urging of the county to flesh out plans in the areas of creating an operating/financial plan, taking a closer look at the impacts of new facilities on existing venues and creating a capital funding plan.

What the study/plan did not include was a weigh-in on the current hot-button debate surrounding competing Broadway-style theater projects posed by private investors developing the Proscenium project in Sandy and Salt Lake City's plan to retool the old downtown Salt Lake Tribune space to host touring stage extravaganzas. The study does touch on the issue and includes this cryptic (and noncommittal) statement: "The projection of potential use of a 2,500-seat theater in Salt Lake County, particularly with respect to touring shows, beyond the historical use patterns is difficult to estimate and subject to outside factors that are impossible to assess."

The council said it will delve into the report in the coming weeks and could be voting on its adoption early next year.

Hatch noted at a Deseret News editorial board meeting Monday that no critical time concerns are attached to the report's findings as the main funding source for future projects, the Tourism, Recreation, Cultural and Convention fund, which collects tax on tourist-related businesses such as cab companies, rental car agencies, hotels and restaurants, will not be fiscally sound until 2011, at the earliest.

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E-mail: araymond@desnews.com