Listen to this articleToday, the Downtown Alliance announced that local Emmy Award-winning composer, and LGBT ally, Kurt Bestor, is pairing up with Wells Fargo executive David Golden to launch Friends of the UPAC – a group of arts organizations, patrons and business leaders formed to support the creation of the Utah Performing Arts Center, a proposed new cultural facility for downtown Salt Lake City.
Although Golden and Bestor come from widely different backgrounds, both feel strongly that Salt Lake City could see major economic and cultural benefits by adding a new performing arts center, which will be used primarily for commercial touring productions.
“I see the UPAC as an important next step for Salt Lake City in its development as a thriving arts center in the West,” said Bestor. “I travel all over the country and believe Salt Lake City needs a facility like this to further vitalize our downtown and help grow new audiences.”
The proposed facility will house a 2,500-seat theater, as well as a smaller theater and rehearsal space to be used by local arts organizations. The location of the new venue will be at 135 S. Main St., the former Newspaper Agency Corp building, which will be reconstructed.
“Construction of the UPAC will expand the local economy by almost $500 million and create over 4,000 jobs,” said Golden. “Once built and at stabilized occupancy, the Utah Performing Arts Center will generate ongoing economic benefits of $14.8 million in output and create 168 new permanent jobs in Salt Lake County.”
