Park City's historic Main Street district will get new state-backed resources to draw locals back to Old Town after the city was accepted into the Utah Main Street program, officials announced July 23.

The free program, run by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, connects communities with preservation architects, grant funding, and a national network of downtown revitalization expertise. Park City joins the newest cohort that includes Midway, Tremonton, Smithfield, Bountiful, Milford, and Midvale. Nearly 30 Utah communities now participate.

"It's going to open doors to a lot of resources for them that they would not have otherwise," Historic Park City Alliance Executive Director Ginger Wicks said in a KPCW report published July 23.

Wicks said Park City is likely ahead of other communities in the cohort because the city is already developing a Main Street Area Plan to enhance Old Town. That plan, launched in May 2024, envisions a reduced-car street design, park investments, and a strategy to attract year-round foot traffic.

The program comes as Main Street businesses have faced uneven seasons. Some shops thrived during Sundance but struggled in March, Historic Park City Alliance President Monty Coates said in an April interview with KPCW.

How the program works

Utah Main Street Program Manager Chelsea Gauthier described the effort as "a network of community members across the state, both rural and urban, really engaging in historic commercial district revitalization" during a July 22 appearance on KPCW's "Local News Hour."

The program uses Main Street America's four-pronged approach: organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality. In practice, communities gather vacant property data and employment records to identify revitalization options, then the program sends a preservation architect to assess historic buildings and recommend appropriate infill development.

Gauthier said the model is tailored to each community's heritage and identity, with residents driving the priorities.

Main Street America data shows a $23 return on every dollar spent on program operations nationally, according to Gauthier. Logan recently became the first Utah city to earn both state and national Main Street accreditations.

Grant access and what's next

Program membership opens the door to state preservation grants. One current example is the $90,000 Rural Revive & Reside grant, accepting applications through September 18 for owners of historic buildings in rural Tier 2 communities. Park City's specific funding opportunities through the program have not yet been announced.

The Historic Park City Alliance will continue work on the Main Street Area Plan alongside the new state program. Under the Utah Main Street framework, a preservation architect will assess Old Town's historic buildings to identify development and restoration opportunities.