City and county officials announced plans to build a new $39 million performing arts center in Taylorsville on Monday. It will be called the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center.
Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton says the central location in Taylorsville can serve residents all over the county. The center will be most convenient for those in the southern and western parts of the valley who currently have to drive up to about 45 minutes to see performing arts in downtown Salt Lake City.
“This just provides one more venue and opportunity for people to access the arts close to home,” the councilwoman says. “It’ll also be less expensive than some of the shows that we have downtown.”
It will also be a permanent home for the Taylorsville Arts Council. For years, its members have been rehearsing and holding auditions in the City Council chambers at Taylorsville City Hall.
“[It’s] so exciting to have a place to go,” says Sara McDonald, a principal performer with the arts council. “To not be worrying about, during rehearsals, where we’ll be performing that summer.”
“It costs us a great deal of money, but we rent the high school,” says Howard Wilson, Chair of the Taylorsville Arts Council. He says they rent stages at Salt Lake Community College, Taylorsville High and Murray Park.
“We paid up to $20,000 year for performing space,” Wilson says.
Salt Lake County will foot most of the bill for the new arts center, about $36 million. Taylorsville City will provide about $3 million in addition to land for the building just south of city hall.
Officials expect to break ground in early 2018 and open the new theater in 2020.
