Park City Tech Center is the best opportunity Summit County has to diversify its economy.
“Park City Tech Center is the best opportunity Summit County has to diversify its economy. PCTC will bring high paying jobs to the local economy and will also have an extended positive local economic impact on bringing corporate economy retreats, seminars and similar get-togethers coming to the Park City area.” –Roger Boyer
In 2008,Summit County’s citizens elected to change its three-person commission to a five- person council. Enthusiastic about leaving a legacy of open space preservation before the transition to council, the Summit County Commission appropriated $25 million to preserve the property at the base of the Olympic Park next to Highway 224 and parts of Round Valley. As part of this provision, the Boyer Company was granted permission to develop the Park City Tech Center (PCTC) to encompass up to 1,295,000 square feet of office and research facilities on 50 adjoining acres.
Since 2008, the landscape and infrastructure of the entry corridor to Park City has changed, and the PCTC has begun to emerge with the development of mixed-use buildings and the Liberty Peak Apartment complex, which offers affordable housing for the local workforce.
PCTC developer Roger Boyer notes, “I believe PCTC is the best opportunity Summit County has to diversify its economy. PCTC will bring high paying jobs to the local economy and will also have an extended positive local economic impact on bringing corporate economy retreats, seminars and similar get-togethers coming to the Park City area. PCTC is also geared to keep current local businesses in the area by offering them opportunities to expand and grow,
as they need to. PCTC will also pay substantial property taxes. Most of the companies interested in PCTC will be drawn to the area because of Park City’s quality of life and the unique community it offers. With those incentives, we believe they will take advantage of this for their employees and become good corporate citizens that work to preserve the quality of life in the area.”
Sasaki Associates, the world leader in research and business park design, designed and developed the PCTC’s master plan. Developer Roger Boyer also notes that Sasaki “excels in green design,” which is also beneficial to Park City’s community development goals.
When asked to describe the project, Mr. Boyer explains, “The project is designed to take advantage of the topography and the incredible views. Buildings will be constructed along both sides of our main street (Tech Center Drive), creating an atmosphere of vitality and interest. Buildings are being designed to take advantage of advances in reducing environmental impact and conserving resources. One of the key components of this is extensive use of glass.”
Both Summit County’s Planning and Legal Departments helped the Boyer Company and their architectural firm, Babcock Design Group, utilize a flexible and creative interpretation of both a preliminary general plan and the project’s development agreement to create the premiere building, Boyer A, on the corner lot of PCTC.
Recently completed and situated next to Highway 224 on the Olympic Parkway, the building has a dominating presence. Designed as the anchor of the development, Boyer A serves as a model of buildings to come.
The corner of the new building features a tower of glass designed to house the new Visitors Center for the Park City Chamber of Commerce. Don Sargent, Park City’s Community Development Director, approved the additional height for the building’s tower, designed for visual impact and presence, to welcome Park City’s visitors.
Bill Malone, President and CEO of the Park City Chamber Bureau, notes, “Considering the fact that for so many years our Visitor’s Center was hidden in the small cabin in the Junction, it’s not hard to be excited by the opportunity to show off our community in a positive light with a large, new prominent center where guests can be welcomed upon their entrance to our great area.”
A unique design approval also showcases the new center. The building’s prominence at the adjacent intersection was further enhanced by the interpretation of the development’s design guidelines that allowed the building to be elevated on an earthen pedestal, differing from the standard method of height calculation in the rest of the county.
In addition to a coffee bar and gift shop, the Visitor Center will feature new technology for guest services. According to Mr. Malone, “The use of technology will have a prominent place in the Center, with a changing variety of videos in HD, large projections of visual images, and touchscreen technology for making reservations for both lodging and dining.”
To make the development more viable and to encourage walk-ability, the Boyer Company also assisted with financing some of the construction of the underpass below Highway 224 to make stores and restaurants easily accessible to pedestrians and bikers. Boyer also partnered with Cowboy Properties to design and build the Liberty Peak Housing complex adjacent to the Tanger Outlet Mall.
The Park City Technical Center’s next building phases are currently underway. For information on sales and leasing, please contact Dave Allen, Project Manager, at 801-521-4781.
For information on leasing an apartment or townhome, please contact Cowboy Properties at 435-658-0001 or email libertypeak@cowboy.us.
The Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center will be open Monday through Saturday from 9-5 and Sunday from 10-5.
