Developers 'hit pause' on Vesper Amphitheater plans after public pushback

PROVO – Plans for a large amphitheater in Provo Canyon pushed by the Osmond family are on hold as developers rework some of the details.

Developers recently pulled their application that was previously submitted to Provo city amid strong public opposition to the Vesper Amphitheater, a proposed 20,000-seat live music venue to be built at 6622 N. U.S. 189.

However, developers told KSL they plan to resubmit a revised application by the end of the month, and they hope it will resolve some of the public's concerns.

"We needed to kind of hit pause and reassess and then move forward so that we could be in line with the feedback that we're getting," said Bryan Bayles, representative for Vesper.

This week, the nearby city of Orem issued a rare rebuke of the project, and the city council plans to consider a formal resolution of opposition at its upcoming meeting next week. Orem's primary concerns are sound and light pollution, impacts on Mount Timpanogos Park and other recreation sites, and traffic.

"A development of this scale cannot occur without significant and costly transportation improvements, many of which would directly affect Orem residents," city leaders wrote in a letter on Thursday.

What is the Vesper Amphitheater?

The Vesper Amphitheater would be a state-of-the-art music venue situated at the base of Provo Canyon, in a location that has been home to a mining operation for the past century.

But that mining facility only accounts for roughly a quarter of the proposed 100-acre development site. The rest would encompass two nearby parcels owned by Provo city.

The plan is being pushed by the Osmond family. Donny Osmond spoke at the project's unveiling in May and was named chair of Vesper's advisory board.

A previous development agreement for Vesper would allow 20,000 seats, 8,000 parking spaces, a 75-room hotel and 150,000 square feet of retail space. But after public pushback, the developers told KSL they're making some changes, including altering plans for parking and limiting the area for restaurants and retail.

Bayles, the Vesper representative, pushed back against the perception that the venue would be a large shopping center. Under the revised plans, he said merchandise, concessions and restaurants would be capped at 40,000 square feet. The other 110,000 square feet would be used for things like garages for snow removal equipment, restrooms, HVAC facilities and storage for audiovisual equipment, Bayles said.

The venue's seating and hotel capacity would remain the same, he said, while emphasizing that a "massive component" of the Vesper Amphitheater project would be trails, open space and public access.

Bayles also said developers are working with Provo city to address traffic and public works concerns, although he noted that the roads near the site are owned and controlled by the Utah Department of Transportation.

"All of those improvements would go to benefit Vesper for sure," Bayles said, "but they would also be benefiting the public the majority of the time."

Orem speaks out

In its letter of opposition to the Vesper Amphitheater, Orem city officials acknowledged that they "do not typically weigh in on matters outside our city. But they said the project's proposed impacts are "too significant to ignore."

"We saw the proposal, and our mayor and city council felt like that project would never work for Orem," said Pete Wolfley, Orem city public information officer. "We hope that whatever they come back with, those concerns are addressed and that will give the council and mayor the chance to look at it with fresh eyes."

Yet, Crystal Muhlestein, who serves on the Orem City Council, said that "commercializing the canyon should not be on our list of things to do." She doubts that any revisions could ever make the proposed site feasible.

"I think the idea of this project is great. I am not opposed to having a venue like this," Muhlestein said. "But where you put it really, really matters."

Provo councilmember still unsure

Whenever the revised application is submitted to Provo city, it will go back to the planning commission – which previously recommended rejecting it – and then to the city council.

Travis Hoban, who serves on the Provo City Council, told KSL he's still "completely undecided" on whether to support or oppose the amphitheater. He toured the property on Thursday.

Hoban said he's looking at the potential drawbacks – and benefits – of the project.

"My own wife and daughter and my best friends and my neighbors are all giving me different opinions," he said. "Rest assured, the council in general is taking this very seriously."

Developers said they appreciate the public feedback and are working to implement it.

"It definitely is a sensitive area and a subject that is near and dear to everyone's hearts," said David Osmond, Vesper's executive director, while noting that all the developers on the project are from Utah and care about Provo Canyon. "It is an amazing spot, and we understand the sensitivity of that for the general public."

Contributing: Heather Peterson

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