SALT LAKE CITY – In a recent attempt, a Salt Lake City man offered to buy the dilapidated historic ‘Utah Theater’ before turning it into a residential skyscraper.
However, the theater in Main Street 144 S. already has a buyer.
Michael Valentine was not ready to give up the historic Utah Theater when it opened in 1918 as the “Pantages Theater.”
Despite extensive renovations, he offered to pay $ 500,000 for the structure, along with an extensive proposal to the city.
‘This building is so important not only to Salt Lake and Utah, but also to the entire country. We can not afford to really lose it, ”Valentine said.
Valentine, herself a filmmaker, created a company and a non-profit organization to bring cinema to the theater.
A historic conservationist and a construction crew are teaming up with architect Casey O’Brian McDonough, who is launching a voter initiative to appeal to the city.
“We’re going to take it to the voters to help the city realize we need to save the theater,” McDonough said.
360 REPORT: How much history will we save as Utah grows?
But there is a problem. Salt Lake City has already agreed to sell it to a firm called Hines and the LaSalle Group, which plans to demolish the theater to build a 31-story residential air scraper.
Both companies did not respond to our request for comment on this story.
“They do not think there is a way to save it, and we think there is,” McDonough said.
In 2010, the city bought the property for $ 5.1 million with the goal of renovating and reopening the theater until the price rose to $ 60 million.
At the end of 2019, the city’s redevelopment agency (RDA) approved to sell it to developers for free in exchange for affordable housing and green space.
In response to FOX 13, City spokesperson Lindsey Nikola wrote: “The RDA is under contract with another entity for the purchase of the property and accordingly the necessary care, so we will not have any questions about our current agreement or obligations are not met. ”
“The deal has not been finalized yet – the contract is still pending to be negotiated,” Valentine said.
Valentine believes he has a window and hopes his offer will influence the RDA’s decision to reconsider the future of the theater.
The RDA, which consists of city council members, will discuss the sale in a public meeting on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
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