City Leaders Cool On Revised Leonardo Plan

Aug 18, 2008 by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) The Leonardo is scheduled to take its new proposal to renovate the old Salt Lake City Main Library building to the city council tomorrow. Museum officials plan to ask the council to release a voter-approved $10 million bond to begin those renovations, however some council members are hesitant to do so.

"I do think that there might be interested parties out there to do something else. We've stayed true to our commitment to [The Leonardo], and so we've not really explored other possibilities," says Councilman Carlton Christensen. "Since the dynamics of what are being proposed have changed dramatically, we may owe it to the public to go back and at least take a second look at what other options might exist."

Christensen says he concerned about the museum's ability to raise capital funds and worries the museum won't be able to raise the money necessary to move beyond the first phase of its new renovation plan. He is inclined to follow the advice of Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, who recommended the city start finding a new use for the old library in a letter sent to the council last week.

Councilman Eric Jergensen says if the museum can't assure the city of its ability to sustain itself in the long term, then the council has no other options.

"Our goal is to see this be successful. But if it requires additional subsidy from the city, it's going to be very tough for us, particularly in these budget times, to say that monies going to The Leonardo are more important than monies going to public safety, the police, the fire, roads, the infrastructure," says Jergensen.

The Leonardo's new plan is to renovate the old Main Library building in three phases, using the bond money to help cover the $11 million it will take for the first phase alone. The museum plans to then raise an additional $10 million to cover the other two phases.

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