Earlier in the week, the Park Record reported that a California development firm had reached a deal to acquire the Kimball Art Center downtown. LCC Properties bought the property (on the market for $8 million) for an unknown amount, and just submitted paperwork to City Hall outlining a huge redevelopment of the historic building. A landmark since 1976, the KAC wanted to add 15,000 square feet and an interior renovation to mark the Utah ski town as "an emerging national arts destination." Way back in 2012, the famed Danish architect Bjarke Ingels (BIG) unveiled a massive 76-foot tall log cabin design that twisted into the Park City skyline and towered above town. After "the public" disliked the height of the timber structure, BIG went on to their next design: a (boring?) 46-foot modern slanted concrete structure some characterized as a snow plow. With the snow plow denied by City Hall, the Kimball Art Center decided to forego appeal, sell their current space, and move. Now, the potential new owners want to transform the space into the rather predictable "Kimball Residences & Shops."
Here are the details of the project:
· The developer wants to renovate the Kimball Art Center building itself into 7,500 square feet of shops on the main level and 5,700 square feet of shops on the lower level, referred to as the garden level.
· The elevations of the historic building will be maintained while "features such as the brick and cast concrete façade and steel 'factory' windows will be restored."
· A 2,500-square-foot addition is planned on the roof, hidden from street-level view.
· At the Main Street-Heber Avenue intersection, a new building would house 8,200 square feet of commercial space and 17,200 square feet for 11 different residences. The residences would be sold as whole-ownership or fractional-ownership units.
Still no word on where the new Kimball Art Center intends to relocate. What's your take on the whole drama, Curbediverse? It seems a sad state of affairs that a world-class art center was forced to move and instead we'll see more shops and condos.
· California developer reaches deal for Kimball Art Center [Park Record]
· Park City's Kimball Art Center Listed for Cheap $8 Million [Curbed Ski]
· Denial of BIG Design Forces Kimball Art Center to New Location [Curbed Ski]
· Bjarke Ingels's Art Center Not Historic Enough for Park City [Curbed Ski]
· Sloping Concrete or Twisty Timber: Which Works in Park City? [Curbed Ski]
· Kimball Art Center's Revamped Design Plans Revealed [Curbed Ski]
· The 18 Best Hot Spots for Park City Eating & Drinking, Feb '14 [Curbed Ski]
· All Kimball Art Center Coverage [Curbed Ski]
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