Cultural center progressing in West Valley
River advocates unhappy over growth, however
By Stephen Speckman
Deseret News staff writer
Published: Wednesday, April 2, 2003 7:36 a.m. MST
WEST VALLEY CITY — The cultures of northern Utah never had it so good. Advocates for the Jordan River, however, aren't singing the same tune.
Various festival organizers are lining up to lease space in the 60-acre Cultural Celebration Center at the Riverfront. In its 27-acre, $12 million first phase, a 74,000-square-foot Arts and Heritage Hall is nearing completion.
"I think it's very important that we have a center where the emphasis and the focus is culture," said Bill Afeaki, director of the Utah State Office of Pacific Islander Affairs. "Much of the problems with ethnic groups is an identity crisis and hopefully, through this center, ethnic groups will learn who they are and the underlying values they should embrace."
At a projected $600,000 in annual overhead costs, the center is meant to break even each year, though the potential is there for it to be a moneymaker.
"This is very, very much intended to be a regional facility," said Celebration Center project manager Susan Klinker.
The Celebration Center will allow for some groups to stop meeting in homes and church basements. It will give a more permanent place for organizations that have been searching for a home of their own.
The Utah Scottish Association, which used to call Murray home, is now planning for a June 13-15 festival at the Celebration Center, located along the Jordan River at about 3100 South, just east of Redwood Road.
August will feature a bluegrass festival and possibly events put on by the Utah Native American Association and the Polynesian Association of Utah.
A July 19 grand opening is set for the hall, the 12-acre festival grounds and a two-sided stage where acts can face a crowd of up to 1,500 in an amphitheater or 10,000 if they turn toward the festival grounds. Layton Construction officials say the work is about 85 percent complete.
But building so close to the Jordan River has presented a few challenges, such as trying to protect the river's meander corridor and nearby wetlands. Those areas, Buchanan said, will be handled with care.
"We see the Jordan River as an incredible asset to this project," he said.
Great Salt Lake Audubon executive director and Great Salt Lakekeeper Jeff Salt said if cities along the Jordan continue to develop in floodplains and wildlife habitat that there will be nothing left. To Salt, it becomes a case of "loving the river to death."
Salt said very little "substance" has come from city leaders on dealing with building in sensitive areas along the river. West Valley City is one of the few along the Jordan River that has not joined the Jordan River Natural Areas Forum, a collection of cities and various community and government agencies whose focus is to protect the Jordan River.
But the project forges ahead and what's on the inside and outside at the Celebration Center is, in fact, the product of a collaborative effort.
Utah Power gave the city an easement in its power corridor. The Granger-Hunter Improvement District and Brighton Canal Co. are providing water. And Salt Lake County is granting the city a "use permit" for about nine acres.
Bob Buchanan, West Valley City administrator of economic development, said the whole idea to build something like this came from the Salt Lake Valley's ethnic community.
"This is truly a unique situation," he said.
It's been the input from representatives of different peoples, Klinker said, that has helped build this beacon to Utah cultures.
Here are just a few of the features people can expect:
•Festival grounds that can be accessed only by traversing one of four bridges (there are five total), which should make crowd control a little easier for ticket takers.
•The 300-foot wide by 4-foot high Gearld Wright memorial walkway, named after West Valley City's late mayor. It will feature permanent and temporary displays that highlight Utah's cultural diversity.
•A pond and meandering stream surrounding the festival grounds and running beneath an outdoor stage. The water will come from the Brighton Canal.
•A special food vendor area with a data line for credit-card sales, running water, electricity and drains for grease and other food preparation wastes. The site also will be licensed for beer and wine sales.
•An irrigation system that utilizes a new well without relying on culinary water supplies. The approximately 20 acres of green space could be watered by the well, nearby canal or eventually from treated water from a sewage treatment plant.
•Classrooms, meeting rooms, office space, a commercial kitchen and banquet facilities for up to 1,000, all for rent inside the Heritage Hall.
Construction of the International Market Place, a permanent area for commerce that emphasizes serving different cultures, should begin within the next two years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
River advocates unhappy over growth, however
By Stephen Speckman
Deseret News staff writer
Published: Wednesday, April 2, 2003 7:36 a.m. MST
WEST VALLEY CITY — The cultures of northern Utah never had it so good. Advocates for the Jordan River, however, aren't singing the same tune.
Various festival organizers are lining up to lease space in the 60-acre Cultural Celebration Center at the Riverfront. In its 27-acre, $12 million first phase, a 74,000-square-foot Arts and Heritage Hall is nearing completion.
"I think it's very important that we have a center where the emphasis and the focus is culture," said Bill Afeaki, director of the Utah State Office of Pacific Islander Affairs. "Much of the problems with ethnic groups is an identity crisis and hopefully, through this center, ethnic groups will learn who they are and the underlying values they should embrace."
At a projected $600,000 in annual overhead costs, the center is meant to break even each year, though the potential is there for it to be a moneymaker.
"This is very, very much intended to be a regional facility," said Celebration Center project manager Susan Klinker.
The Celebration Center will allow for some groups to stop meeting in homes and church basements. It will give a more permanent place for organizations that have been searching for a home of their own.
The Utah Scottish Association, which used to call Murray home, is now planning for a June 13-15 festival at the Celebration Center, located along the Jordan River at about 3100 South, just east of Redwood Road.
August will feature a bluegrass festival and possibly events put on by the Utah Native American Association and the Polynesian Association of Utah.
A July 19 grand opening is set for the hall, the 12-acre festival grounds and a two-sided stage where acts can face a crowd of up to 1,500 in an amphitheater or 10,000 if they turn toward the festival grounds. Layton Construction officials say the work is about 85 percent complete.
But building so close to the Jordan River has presented a few challenges, such as trying to protect the river's meander corridor and nearby wetlands. Those areas, Buchanan said, will be handled with care.
"We see the Jordan River as an incredible asset to this project," he said.
Great Salt Lake Audubon executive director and Great Salt Lakekeeper Jeff Salt said if cities along the Jordan continue to develop in floodplains and wildlife habitat that there will be nothing left. To Salt, it becomes a case of "loving the river to death."
Salt said very little "substance" has come from city leaders on dealing with building in sensitive areas along the river. West Valley City is one of the few along the Jordan River that has not joined the Jordan River Natural Areas Forum, a collection of cities and various community and government agencies whose focus is to protect the Jordan River.
But the project forges ahead and what's on the inside and outside at the Celebration Center is, in fact, the product of a collaborative effort.
Utah Power gave the city an easement in its power corridor. The Granger-Hunter Improvement District and Brighton Canal Co. are providing water. And Salt Lake County is granting the city a "use permit" for about nine acres.
Bob Buchanan, West Valley City administrator of economic development, said the whole idea to build something like this came from the Salt Lake Valley's ethnic community.
"This is truly a unique situation," he said.
It's been the input from representatives of different peoples, Klinker said, that has helped build this beacon to Utah cultures.
Here are just a few of the features people can expect:
•Festival grounds that can be accessed only by traversing one of four bridges (there are five total), which should make crowd control a little easier for ticket takers.
•The 300-foot wide by 4-foot high Gearld Wright memorial walkway, named after West Valley City's late mayor. It will feature permanent and temporary displays that highlight Utah's cultural diversity.
•A pond and meandering stream surrounding the festival grounds and running beneath an outdoor stage. The water will come from the Brighton Canal.
•A special food vendor area with a data line for credit-card sales, running water, electricity and drains for grease and other food preparation wastes. The site also will be licensed for beer and wine sales.
•An irrigation system that utilizes a new well without relying on culinary water supplies. The approximately 20 acres of green space could be watered by the well, nearby canal or eventually from treated water from a sewage treatment plant.
•Classrooms, meeting rooms, office space, a commercial kitchen and banquet facilities for up to 1,000, all for rent inside the Heritage Hall.
Construction of the International Market Place, a permanent area for commerce that emphasizes serving different cultures, should begin within the next two years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
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