PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing and vote on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, regarding a proposed master planned development at 1800 Park Avenue, known as The Yarrow or the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. The redevelopment plan, submitted by the property owner, Singerman Real Estate, includes a significant height exception request that has sparked debate.

Why it matters: The proposed redevelopment, which seeks to transform the 4.47-acre site into a mixed-use development with 234 residential units and additional commercial space, has raised concerns among city officials and residents due to its potential impact on the scenic views along Park City’s key entry corridors. The Planning Commission’s decision could set a precedent for future development projects in sensitive areas like the Frontage Protection Zone (FPZ).

The proposal: The redevelopment plan calls for constructing 234 nightly rental condominium units, along with retail, office, and restaurant spaces. The applicant also requests an exception to increase the building height by 10 feet to 45 feet in certain areas, which exceeds the 35-foot limit set by the General Commercial zoning district.

A lodging property proposed to be developed at a high-profile Park City intersection may climb to a height that is taller than normally would be allowed at the location.

The firm that wants to demolish The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow and then rebuild on the land is seeking an exception to the City Hall rules regulating the height of buildings.

The exception sought by the developer, Chicago-based Singerman Real Estate, was one of the topics broached during an open house on Tuesday centered on the project.

The underlying City Hall zoning at the location limits the height of buildings to 35 feet. Park City officials are processing the proposal as what is known as a master planned development. Under the rules of that sort of application, a developer is allowed to seek an exception to the height limits. That decision would be based on an analysis specific to the location.

A representative of Singerman Real Estate at the Tuesday event said the developer wants such an exception to the height restrictions.

The project involves a height of slightly less than 45 feet at the corner of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard, stepping up from 35 feet that would also be part of the design at the corner. The designs envision certain other locations to reach 43 feet along Kearns Boulevard.

The Park City Planning Commission holds the authority to approve an exception to the height limits.

The open house, which was held at the hotel, provided an opportunity for the public to learn about details of the project as an important Planning Commission meeting approaches. Upward of 25 people were in attendance. The crowd studied renderings of the project and spoke with representatives of the development. Some of the people appeared to be interested in the height of the proposal.

The project that is before the Planning Commission involves a condominium hotel, a large bloc of units of restricted workforce or otherwise affordable housing and a restaurant with a rooftop bar. Retailers and restaurants are slated to occupy space on the ground floor.

The project entails:

• 174 condominium-hotel units
• 60 units of restricted affordable housing
• 5,935 square feet for restaurants or bars
• 2,543 square feet of retail space
• 6,500 square feet of office space

The developers also intend to build a 12-foot-wide pedestrian-bicyclist pathway just off Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard on the edge of the project, something Singerman Real Estate says will increase the connectivity in the Bonanza Park area.

The proposal has garnered attention with the location being so important to the community. The intersection of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard is one of the busiest in Park City, with many people headed to the mountain resorts and Main Street driving by the location. It is the first heavily developed intersection inbound drivers on S.R. 224 reach inside Park City.

The location is also important since it is critical to the broader Bonanza Park district, an area of Park City that is seen as having significant redevelopment possibility. Some see a project like the one pursued at the site of The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow as being a catalyst for the wider redevelopment of Bonanza Park.

“We’re designing for the future,” Craig Elliott, a Park City architect tapped by Singerman Real Estate for the project, told the crowd.

Peter Tomai, a Park City-based development partner with Singerman Real Estate, spoke to the attendees about how he sees the project as reflecting Park City leaders’ hopes for the future of Bonanza Park. Tomai also said the location could someday be a place to mark the legacy of the 2034 Winter Olympics, which were recently awarded to Salt Lake City with the Park City area holding a key role. The land is across Kearns Boulevard from the Olympic Welcome Plaza, which celebrates the community’s role in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The people at the event inquired about a range of issues, including parking that will be incorporated into the project and the architectural designs. One speaker told Singerman Real Estate the project resembles a commercial building rather than a hotel, with a hope the final architecture appears more like what is seen in mountain towns. Another person was concerned about whether there would be enough parking for a project like the one proposed. The Singerman Real Estate side described plans for 300 parking stalls and said that number was sufficient.

The gathering on Tuesday occurred eight days before the Planning Commission is scheduled to address the project.

The project has not garnered widespread interest, but there was recent testimony at a Park City Council meeting about the location. Mark J. Fischer, who once held ambitious plans to redevelop a swath of Bonanza Park, outlined his support for the proposal in an appearance before the elected officials. He described that it would be a setback for the broader Bonanza Park if the project is rejected.

The owner of Park City’s DoubleTree hotel is seeking a height exception to build a new mixed use development.

The plan for the DoubleTree site, formerly known as The Yarrow, includes hotel rooms, condos, affordable housing and commercial space (learn more about the project here).

The height of the new development, which still needs to be approved by Park City officials, is under 45 feet.

However, the area is zoned for a maximum building height of 35 feet. The Park City Planning Commission will meet Aug. 28 to determine if it should allow an exception for the increased height.

About two dozen people went to the open house Tuesday where developers argued the benefits of their proposal and why it should be allowed to build above the permitted height.

Nearly 40% of the project would be publicly accessible open space. The development would also include a new 12-foot wide sidewalk along Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard.

Greg, a Park Avenues Condos resident who preferred only to share his first name, says the project would be an improvement compared to the existing hotel.

“I love it,” he said. “Having a condo across the street since 1975 and when they first built this, this was a grand entrance into Park City. But that was 1977 and it’s very dated. But this now looks like a great idea, particularly the open space around the outside… I hope the city goes along with the height easement that they’re wanting.”

Thaynes resident Pam Bloom agrees.

“I think it’s really exciting and it’s definitely an upgrade to what’s here,” Bloom said. “I think the city would be kind of silly to stop this kind of building from happening, because I think it’s what we all want to see instead of parking lots and cement.”

The Park City Planning Commission will meet on the project Aug. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting agenda will be available Friday.

A Park City man who once held ambitious plans to remake a swath of the Bonanza Park district on Thursday outlined his support for another project in the vicinity of the land his partnership once controlled.

Mark J. Fischer appeared at a Park City Council meeting, speaking about the proposed redevelopment of the land where the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow is located. Mayor Nann Worel and the City Council were not scheduled to address the project, but Fischer’s comments were noteworthy nonetheless with more discussions about the redevelopment approaching.

Fischer has a long history in development in the area of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive, and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow is just west of the ground a partnership that involved Fischer previously held.

Fischer did not speak at length, but he told the elected officials it is, in his estimation, “absolutely critical that you all find a way to get that project approved.” If the redevelopment does not proceed, he described, there could be wider repercussions.

“If this gets turned down, I think it’s going to be a major setback for the development and the potential of Bonanza Park because developers are going to say, ‘This is too difficult to work with, all these rules and regulations.’”

He said he has no financial interest in the redevelopment project.

“I just think it’s vitally important that you find a way to get that approved. Just my point of view,” he said.

Fischer was one side of the Bonanza Park partnership that spent years pursuing a major redevelopment of the district. The vision ultimately was scrapped amid concerns about a range of issues that arose during the planning-related discussions at City Hall, such as building heights and the traffic a development would have generated.

The partnership eventually sold the key parcel, which stretches inward from the southwest corner of the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive, to City Hall in a nearly $20 million deal. The municipal government acquired the land with the intention of developing an arts district with the Kimball Art Center and the Utah offices of the Sundance Institute as the anchors. The discussions about the future of the land are continuing.

The land in Bonanza Park and elsewhere along the Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard corridors has been seen for years as ripe for redevelopment. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow occupies a highly visible location just off the intersection of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard. Some see a redevelopment at that key corner as potentially being a catalyst for broader work in that area of Park City.

The proposed redevelopment of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow location involves a condominium hotel, restricted workforce or otherwise affordable housing and a restaurant on the rooftop. There would be retailers and restaurants on the ground floor. The developers see the project as something that would reimagine the intersection.

An open house hosted by the developer, Chicago-based Singerman Real Estate, is scheduled Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the hotel, 1800 Park Ave.

The Doubletree by Hilton — Yarrow Hotel is seeking approval to redevelop the property into a mixed-use development featuring ground floor retail, a condominium hotel, affordable housing, a rooftop restaurant, and multi-use trail.

Hotel ownership is hosting an open house on Aug. 20 to present the latest design and answer questions. The project has undergone significant design changes over the last two and a half years through collaboration with local stakeholders and Park City planning officials.

The proposed development reimagines the property as a community hub, creating a new standard of livability, walkability, and inclusivity for Bonanza Park, according to the developers. The design features individual buildings to enhance open spaces and views. They said the buildings would be surrounded by a landscaped “greenbelt” with a multi-use trail.

Prioritizing community, they said, the proposed public space includes two plazas along the new signature trail, ideal for local events and gatherings. One building would feature three floors of affordable housing with a private terrace. There also would be ground-floor retail shops and restaurants. 

Opened in 1977, The Yarrow Hotel has been owned by Singerman Real Estate since 2013 and licensed to operate under the DoubleTree by Hilton brand for the past 10 years.

The open house with appetizers and beverages will take place on Aug. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the DoubleTree by Hilton ballroom at 1800 Park Ave. A presentation detailing the plans will be presented at 6 p.m. In-depth information is also available online at www.1800Park.com.

The redevelopment’s second public input session with the Park City Planning Commission is scheduled for Aug. 28 at City Hall. 

Singerman Real Estate LLC, owner of the DoubleTree by Hilton, Park City – The Yarrow and Outlets Park City, is a Chicago-based real estate investment firm managing over $4 billion in assets across North America. It invests in both debt and equity across all major asset classes and owns several hospitality properties and outlet centers.

Learn more at www.singermanre.com. 

The DoubleTree, formerly known as The Yarrow, is located at the intersection of Park City’s main thoroughfares, Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard.

The owners of the nearly 4.5-acre property first approached the Park City Planning Commission with redevelopment plans in summer 2022. Over multiple meetings, commissioners have expressed concerns about the project’s height.

Peter Tomai, who represents Chicago-based Singerman Real Estate, said the proposed height is now four stories, a reduction from an initial plan for five.

The developers are hosting an open house Tuesday at the DoubleTree from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Detailed project presentations are set for 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The owners want to demolish the hotel and remove the existing parking, and replace it with five buildings that would include a hotel, conference rooms, a public plaza, ground floor commercial space, and a restaurant with a rooftop bar. One of the buildings would also include 60 units of affordable housing, mostly studio units. New parking would be built underground.

By clustering the development into smaller footprints, Tomai said the property will have room to include a “green belt” that would involve a multi-use bike and pedestrian path.

“Nearly 75,000 square feet of the site becomes publicly accessible open space,” Tomai said. “In order to do that, it requires us to stack some of those uses that cleared those areas on top of the others. And so we’re asking for a height exception to allow four story buildings.” 

In previous meetings the project team has indicated its willingness to work with Park City on a long-planned underground tunnel that would connect the DoubleTree property to the Olympic Plaza.

The project will be back in front of the planning commission on June 26, when a public hearing is scheduled.

PARK CITY, Utah — The DoubleTree by Hilton, Park City, The Yarrow, is set for a major redevelopment as part of the revitalization of the Bonanza Park area. The hotel’s owners, Singerman Real Estate, plan to transform the property into a mixed-use development featuring affordable housing, a rooftop restaurant, and expanded green spaces.

The redevelopment plan, currently under review by the Park City Planning Commission, aims to enhance walkability, connectivity, and livability in the area. The project is designed to provide new amenities and services to the community while preserving the hotel’s longstanding role as a local institution.

Key features of the proposed redevelopment include five interconnected building pods with a common first floor and an outdoor pool. Four buildings will house condominium hotel rooms and a conference facility, while the fifth will include affordable housing units. Underground parking will create additional green space and support a multi-use trail extension to the McLeod Creek trail, enhancing pedestrian and cyclist accessibility.

The project also includes plans for a beautified entry corridor along Park Avenue-Kearns Boulevard and enhanced publicly accessible green spaces and recreation trails.

An open house to present the redevelopment plan will be held on Tuesday, June 18, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton’s (The Yarrow) ballroom at 1800 Park Avenue. Detailed presentations will be given at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Many Parkites still refer to the building at the corner of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard as simply “The Yarrow,” the widely accepted name of the hotel there for decades.

It is now known as the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow, and the future of the stalwart lodging option is expected to be of note in coming months as a major reworking of the property is debated.

The owner, a Chicago-based firm called Singerman Real Estate, is preparing plans to demolish the building and then redevelop the land with another lodging property. The project is notable with DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow being such a well-known element in the Park City lodging industry as well as with the location being so important at the intersection of two key roads.

The Singerman Real Estate concept for the land involves:

• Five distinct “building pods” that would be connected through a first floor that would be common to them all. An outdoor pool would be at the center.

• Four of the pods would offer rooms in a condominium hotel and conference space.

• One of the pods would be the location of restricted workforce housing.

• An underground parking garage.

• A restaurant with a rooftop bar.

• A path along Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard separated from traffic by a greenbelt that would be included in the development.

• A gathering space described as a plaza.

• Retailers and restaurant space on the ground floor of the new building’s southern side.

• Publicly accessible grounds, such as landscaping and a pathway, covering 38% of the property.

There would be a combined approximately 17,000 square feet dedicated to restaurant, retail and office space.

Singerman Real Estate is touting the project as an early step in the expected redo of the Bonanza Park district as Park City leaders continue to craft a vision for a section of the community that has long been seen as ripe for significant public sector and private sector investment.

“The vision is to transform the Yarrow Hotel into the first redeveloped property in Bonanza Park, implementing a new standard for walkability, connectivity, livability, and inclusivity,” a release from the Chicago firm says.

Peter Tomai, a development partner with Singerman Real Estate, said the firm spent $10 million to renovate the property in 2014 before reaching the franchise agreement with the DoubleTree brand.

“Looking at, essentially, the opportunities for the site. The Yarrow, as we know it, has been a workhorse,” he said as he described the considerations that went into the decision to pursue a project that requires the demolition of the building.

He said the hotel has traditionally been “one of the best performing properties in Park City” when measured by year-round occupancy.

Tomai said the discussions about the future of Bonanza Park have influenced the concept from Singerman Real Estate. He said the firm wants to learn how it can “add vitality” to Bonanza Park. The replacement of the existing parking lots with a garage could advance the project and the overall district, he described, since they are so close to the lots at Holiday Village. There is a “ton of asphalt” in the immediate area, he said.

“I think it serves as a catalyst,” he said about the project’s potential impact as the broader vision for Bonanza Park advances.

The project calls for a 174-unit condominium hotel and 60 units of restricted housing. The development would appear from street level as if it is spread through five buildings, but it would instead be one building connected at the ground level and through the garage. Tomai noted there are expected to be full-time residents living in the project as he described the hopes for vibrancy at the location. He said the designs incorporate what he considers to be a “greenbelt” separating the planned building from the roads.

The development team has scheduled an open house to introduce the project on Tuesday. It is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. in the ballroom of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow, 1800 Park Ave. Presentations are planned at 5:30 p.m. and will be given again at 6:30 p.m.

PARK CITY, UTAH (June 11, 2024) — The Yarrow Hotel’s redevelopment plans are in review before the Park City Planning Commission, and hotel ownership is hosting an open house for the public to showcase the vision to transform the property into a vibrant mixed-use development with affordable housing, a rooftop restaurant, outdoor community gathering areas, and a beautified Park Avenue-Kearns Boulevard entry corridor with enhanced publicly accessible green space and recreation trails. 

The vision is to transform the Yarrow Hotel into the first redeveloped property in Bonanza Park, implementing a new standard for walkability, connectivity, livability, and inclusivity.

The Yarrow has been a Park City institution since it was built in 1977. It has been owned by Singerman Real Estate since 2013 and licensed as a DoubleTree by Hilton for the past 10 years. Having been a benefit to the Park City community for many years, the redeveloped property is designed to expand its offering to the community with enhanced open space, connectivity, and contemporary amenities, including street-level retail and a restaurant with a roof-top bar. 

The proposed hotel redevelopment will feature five individual building pods connected by a common first floor with an outdoor pool in the center. Four of the buildings will contain condominium hotel rooms and a conference facility and the fifth will host affordable housing units. This mix enables the project to provide new permanent housing for Park City residents and improve the quality of accommodations for transient visitors to Park City.

A significant change to the property will be the underground parking, which allows for more green space around the property, a multi-use trail extension to the McLeod Creek trail, a plaza gathering space and ground floor retail and restaurant space on the south side.  

An open house showcasing the redesign of the property will be held 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 18 in the DoubleTree by Hilton’s (The Yarrow) ballroom at 1800 Park Avenue in Park City.  Detailed presentations will be given at 5:30 p.m. and repeated at 6:30 p.m. 

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