Utah Heritage Foundation supports NuSkin’s proposed expansion in downtown Provo, but not at the expense of five historic buildings and breaking up the historic Plat of Zion. What makes any downtown area exciting and economically viable is adding more people to the environment. The other key factor that commonly makes downtown areas unique and enticing is historic preservation.
Therefore, demolition within the Center Street Historic District should not bear the cost of constructing NuSkin’s new building. We strongly believe that any new building should avoid demolishing historic buildings by building at the corner of 100 West and 100 South. At this location, a major building for NuSkin still conforms to Provo’s General Plan Policies regarding Downtown and could potentially be joined to the currently used Kress Building on Center Street for continued use.
Additionally, Utah Heritage Foundation is strongly encouraging Provo City not to close 100 West to traffic. As a historic segment of the city’s Plat of Zion and a major transportation artery, fragmenting the historic grid with the closing of a street to regular traffic begins to diminish the significance of the purpose for which the original Mormon town plat was laid out in 1850.
Allowing the grid to remain intact and adding a new structure at 100 West 100 South can bring the combined benefit of generating increased foot traffic between NuSkin buildings. However, closing the street and adding a structure on top of the street does not add the same level, feeling, and energy to city that actual people walking on the ground can every day. Provo City and NuSkin should leverage this opportunity to showcase how 100 West could be a planning success, integrating traffic-calming and pedestrian-friendly influences.
To that end, we believe the NuSkin proposal is an outstanding opportunity to blend new design with historic preservation, and integrate forward-thinking planning ideas for Provo’s downtown and encourage Provo City and NuSkin to discuss these options.
Read the Staff Report for Planning Commission
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