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SALT LAKE CITY — What to do about the Hoberman Arch? Until last summer the artsy stage piece that was used during the Olympic medals ceremonies during the 2002 games was on display at the University of Utah.
Now it's in storage until someone decides where to put it next. Well, another idea has surfaced from a man who believes he has the perfect home for it.
At Warm Springs Park Wednesday, on the north end of Salt Lake City on 300 West, Don Butterfield, vice chairman of the Capitol Hill Community Council, said he thinks the arch would look good on the hillside.
Warm Springs Park is an open space area owned by the city. About a year ago, the community council began work on a revitalization master plan for the area. The vision is to someday have an amphitheater, children play areas and water features.
And, Butterfield says, if the arch were incorporated here, it would create an Olympic legacy park that's close to the city and very visible.
"The Hoberman Arch and the Olympic legacy park we believe would fit just beautifully between the two warm springs outlets," Butterfield said. “It's city property, it's open space, so there's no other expenses other than except for putting it up and the maintenance of it."
And Butterfield said he would like to see the arch fully operational again — doing just what it did in 2002.
"And as it sits up on the hill a little bit more, the people driving to work along victory road and of course down here on 300 West would all see it," he said.
The arch was a real eye-catcher in 2002, as the 96 panels seemed to magically open up to unveil Olympic medal winners and musical acts. If the arch gets placed at Warm Springs Park, Butterfield hopes to have it operating to bring back some of that magic.
"And of course on the weekend nights, Friday and Saturday nights, we would have it go through all of its motions and lighting and everything that it could go through."
A lot has happened to the arch since the games. For more than a decade it was displayed on the plaza at Rice-Eccles Stadium, before being dismantled last summer. It was taken to a city storage yard, where late last year, nearly three dozen pieces were stolen. The city says the missing parts could be remanufactured.
Salt Lake police don't have any leads yet, but Wednesday they asked KSL to again show video that was taken Dec. 10 of those who may have been involved in the theft.
Butterfield says the arch deserves better, and hopes this proposal catches on with the city and other groups that would have to sign off on such a plan and ultimately fund it. He thinks $1.5 million or less would do it.
"This is a political situation," he said. "But I think this solves all of the political problems that there are and that it can be a good solution for Salt Lake and for the state of Utah."
The city has said it wants to do something with the arch, but no firm plans are in the works yet. Butterfield hopes the spot will get serious consideration.
