- Friends of Fisher Mansion have released a report detailing restoration options for the historic Fisher Mansion.
- The Salt Lake building could become an art gallery, restaurant or museum, among several future options.
- City leaders will consider allocating another $500,000 toward renovations to ensure safety and functionality.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Fisher Mansion has been a residence, convent and residential substance abuse recovery facility since its completion over a century ago.
But it could become an art gallery/studio, a restaurant/cafe or possibly a museum if a group seeking the restore the 132-year-old building has its way. It might even become new offices or a public or private reception/event center nestled along the banks of the Jordan River.
Those are options outlined in a new report detailing restoration plans and potential new uses for the historic building at 1206 W. 200 South that has remained mostly vacant for two decades.
Friends of Fisher Mansion, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the building and authors of the 2025 Fisher Mansion Report, plan to host an event later this month to review the findings of its 58-page report. Salt Lake leaders are also considering a request to put $500,000 toward a major renovation of the building, which would help bring it back to life.
"The Fisher Mansion is more than just a historic building — it's a symbol of our city's diverse cultural history and a beacon for thoughtful preservation," said Brandy Strand, director of Preservation Utah and board chair of Friends of Fisher Mansion. "This report underscores our commitment to ensuring that this landmark remains a space for community gathering, education and celebration for generations to come."
Preserving Fisher Mansion
The Fisher Mansion was completed in 1893, first serving as the home of its namesake: Albert Fisher, a prominent brewer in the city.
Featuring over 20 rooms on four floors, Friends of Fisher Mansion call the structure a "grand statement of Victorian opulence." Architect Richard Kletting designed it and a carriage house about the same time he drew up the original Saltair, and well before he went on to design other key Salt Lake buildings such as the state Capitol.
The mansion remained a home until 1945. That's when it was converted into a convent by Our Lady Queen of Peace and Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters. It then became a substance abuse recovery center in the 1970s, up until its closure in 2006. Salt Lake City acquired the property afterward, but it's been primarily empty since then.
"There is a lot of disappointment in what has happened over the last few years," said Nan Weber, a Poplar Grove resident and member of the Friends of Fisher Mansion board. She said community interest in restoring the building rekindled in earnest in 2022.
Salt Lake City first focused on the carriage house behind the mansion, restoring it to serve as an office space for the city's Parks and Public Lands Department. That's when the city shifted its attention to the mansion itself, directing $3 million in 2022 toward repairing the building's foundation, walls and roof after it was damaged in the 2020 earthquake.
The city completed an architectural and engineering study for earthquake repairs and stabilization. It's currently picking a contractor that is expected to begin next month, according to Sofia Jeremias, spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City Department of Community and Neighborhoods.
Friends of Fisher Mansion requested an additional $500,000 through the city's Capital Improvement Program to cover the cost of further work needed to bring the building into compliance with current public safety code. That includes weatherproofing and other "essential repairs" to the interior and exterior of the building, according to the funding request.
It's a request backed by Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who referenced it while she presented her proposed city budget in May. The mansion is a "historic jewel" with "enormous potential for activation," and the funds would help open the door for "public-private partnerships and year-round activation," she said at the time.
"By this time next year, those improvements will be complete, and we will begin (a request for proposal) process to identify tenants who are ready to bring Fisher Mansion back to life," she added.
The future of Fisher Mansion
Yet, there is currently no restoration plan for the mansion.
The new Friends of Fisher Mansion report details restoration, revitalization and reactivation options. It also lists ongoing threats to the building, such as earthquakes, vandalism and lack of financial or political support. For instance, it has sat primarily vacant for almost two decades, and two years after the 5.7 magnitude earthquake, the brass fence outside the building was stolen and likely sold for scrap.
However, with its proximity to the Jordan River Parkway trail and a new boat launch, and to the Utah State Fairpark and planned Power District, Friends of Fisher Mansion sees great potential in the building's future.
While the report doesn't offer direct suggestions — other than generalities like restaurant, museum or office space — the nonprofit says multiple public and private entities have already "expressed strong interest in occupying the mansion." Its institutional zoning status allows a wide range of possibilities.
Friends of Fisher Mansion plans to present the report findings during an event at Fisher Brewing Company, 320 W. 800 South, on July 23. Fisher's great-great-grandson helped revive the beer brand in 2017, 50 years after the original business closed in 1967. The event, which is free to attend, will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
It's up to the city to determine how Fisher Mansion is reused. Thus, the building's future could become clearer once leaders seek proposals from interested parties.
However, city leaders and Friends of Fisher Mansion have the same goal: "The ultimate goal is to restore the mansion's functionality and thus to reactivate it — to bring it back into use," the organization wrote.
