- Cedar City's Providence Point Lighthouse will be demolished for freeway expansion plans.
- The city's mayor and lighthouse owner Laurie Scholzen express concerns over eminent domain and public notice.
- Demolition may start early next year; construction begins spring 2027 with $100 million budget.
CEDAR CITY — Although there may not be an ocean or large body of water nearby, for the past 25 years, Cedar City's Providence Point Lighthouse has stood as a pillar, letting freeway drivers know: land, ho.
In the coming months, however, the lighthouse that has been so pivotal to Cedar City is coming down to make way for freeway renovations.
While the reasoning behind the structure has been fuel for comedic-filled speculation, for those closest to it, the impending demolition is no joking matter. Cedar City Mayor Garth Green told KSL.com that plans have been in the works for over three years, originating from the need for freeway expansion at the south interchange.
"The south interchange has been a mess, and when I very first became the mayor, I was at a meeting where we looked at a chart of projects by the Utah Department of Transportation," Green said. "There were all kinds of wonderful projects, and I looked at it for a while and said, 'Where's the South Interchange? What are you going to do about that? It's a mess.'"
The mayor recalled discussing the congestion in the area, which is home to restaurants, stores, hotels and even a gateway to nearby schools and residences. He expressed growing concern for traffic flow, and said that he was assured the concerns were enough to "get on the list."
In a matter of time, the project was moved to the top of the list, and Green found himself looking at various plans.
"I liked the plan that was quite different from what they had decided on, where there would be two overpasses and two interchanges where the freeway traffic would come off and go back down a little farther south by the liquor store," he said. "They were also suggesting that they would simply make this six-lane road on top with lanes going underneath it to go to Walmart. When it came right down to it, a six-lane highway was decided on."
The new freeway will have three lanes in each direction, from New Harmony to Cedar City. With the expansion, the 88-foot-tall Providence Point Lighthouse is slated to be demolished, along with the Children's Dental and Jack in the Box buildings.
The lighthouse
The red-and-white-striped lighthouse was built in 2000 as a central focal point for Providence Point, which includes a large body of nearby retailers. Fifteen years ago, the lighthouse was purchased by Laurie and Jay Scholzen, of Cedar City, who also own the Cedar City Children's Dental practice on the same parcel of land. And while the Scholzens knew that the lighthouse was on their land, they weren't quite prepared for all that would come with owning such a large structure.
"My husband and I purchased the property to build our dental practice, and the lighthouse was on the parcel," Laurie Scholzen said. "Over the last 15 years, we've tried to do a lot of things with it. We had actually attempted to give it to the city at one point, but because of the liability and whatnot, they weren't super excited about that. The first couple of years we owned it, we focused on building our office, and then just after that, UDOT did an eminent domain taking of 40 feet in the front."
Laurie Scholtzen further explained that the eminent domain, which is the government's inherent right to take private property for public use, took much of the electricity that allowed for power to light up the lighthouse. She said that this made it difficult to do much with it, including lighting it up.
"Over the last 15 years, there's been a lot of behind-the-scenes," she said. "It was actually zoned as a sign, so it wasn't zoned for any kind of occupancy, so anybody who's ever been in it was technically not supposed to be. It's actually taken quite a bit of work to get it reclassified and rezoned and then up to code."
Laurie Scholzen expressed how much she and her husband love the lighthouse and have had every desire to keep it the Cedar City icon it was meant to be, including allowing people the chance to climb to the top and experience the view. And after years of trying to secure a painter with the equipment to paint such a tall structure, they were recently able to give it a much-needed facelift just in time to open the lighthouse to the public for tours this past August.
Eminent demolition
Despite all the efforts of the Scholzens and the newfound love of locals and passers-by, the lighthouse has been deemed for eminent domain and will be taken down in the coming months.
"We received a notification a year ago that it was an eminent domain," Laurie Scholzen said. "They sent us some maps, and we had an acquisition meeting, but beyond that, we actually haven't really met with them and aren't really sure of their timeline. We were notified around the same time the public was, and not long before it was opened up for public comment."
When it came right down to it, a six-lane highway was decided on.
–Cedar City Mayor Garth Green
Laurie Scholzen said that while she agrees that changes need to be made on the south interchange, she wishes that there was better notice and information given along the way.
"I wish that we had had some more public knowledge of what the plans were, and that there were more chances for public feedback," she said. "The lighthouse being removed may be the right answer and what the community wants, but based on what we're seeing and hearing, there definitely was a lack of understanding of what was to come. … We've actually contacted our senators and would like to see some legislation changed regarding eminent domain, with proper notification and timeline being required.
"The city has been really great to work with us to allow us to get it open for tours, so that has been really great."
According to UDOT's website, the I-15 South Interchange project is still in the design phase, with construction to begin in the spring of 2027. According to Green, demolition could begin as early as the start of the year.
"Mitt Romney wrote the bill for the Senate to appropriate the money for it, and he got that for $60 million and then I think UDOT must have come up with the other $40 million to finish it," Green said. "I think they're supposed to spend $100 million to build it. Cedar City desperately needs to do something on the south interchange, and this is what the Department of Transportation thinks is best for us."
In the meantime, Laurie Scholzen says they're taking it day by day and will continue to offer tours and special events at the lighthouse until they get the red light to stop.
For more information on tours of Cedar City's Lighthouse, go to cedarcitylighthouse.com.
