Friday — May 14, 2004

Chamber scrambles to move visitor center

City land swap still pending

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

The Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau is scrambling to find a new location for its Ketchum visitor center, after the city this week confirmed it is planning to trade the building’s site on Main Street for a vacant land parcel near City Hall.

Laura Hall, visitor services specialist for the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau, stocks brochures outside of the Chamber’s visitor center on Main Street in Ketchum. The facility might be razed before the end of the year. Express photo by David N. Seelig

"From my conversations about this the last two days, it seems the city is very interested in maintaining a viable visitor center," said Carol Waller, executive director of the Chamber. "Where it will go remains to be seen."

The potential land swap involving the city and financial giant Wells Fargo Bank was made public Tuesday, May 11, after Mayor Ed Simon notified Waller that the Chamber will likely have to vacate the visitor-center site in approximately five months.

Simon on Tuesday confirmed that the city and Wells Fargo are very close to finalizing a deal that would trade two commercial-zoned properties that are each 11,000 square feet in land area.

The city parcel at the corner of Fourth and Main streets is currently occupied by the visitor center and an aged building that was once the city hall. The Wells Fargo parcel, located directly south of the Giacobbi Square shopping center along Fourth Street, is currently leased to the managers of Giacobbi Square for use as a parking lot.

Both properties have been valued in excess of $1 million.

City Administrator Ron LeBlanc said this week that if the deal is approved by the City Council and signed by the mayor the two buildings on the city’s Main Street parcel would have to be destroyed. Wells Fargo is planning to build a new branch office and drive-up window on the site, he noted.

Wells Fargo now operates a branch office on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum. Bank officials this week were not available to comment on the corporation’s specific plans.

The two parties hope to complete the transaction in late summer or early fall, city officials said.

After learning that the City Council is leaning toward approving the land trade, Waller on Tuesday hurriedly commenced efforts to find a new site for the visitor center.

"From our perspective, having a viable visitor center is pretty important to the economics of this city," she said.

Indeed, the visitor center is the primary venue for area tourists to gather information about commerce and activities. During the height of the tourist season last summer, from July through September, the center assisted nearly 15,000 walk-in visitors.

The visitor center building is owned by the city. The property is leased to the Chamber for a nominal amount.

The Chamber’s annual lease on the site is set to expire at the end of September.

Simon said he is interested in using the Wells Fargo parcel as a site for a new underground parking garage and public park. A park on the site would likely include public rest rooms and could include a small visitor center, the mayor noted.

LeBlanc said many of the specifics of the trade have not been finalized but the city has been assured that Wells Fargo officials have approved the concept.

"Verbally, the bank has told us that those in authority have approved the trade," he said.

Simon said the city initiated the trade after discovering that Wells Fargo was planning to develop the site.

"That lot has been talked about for years," he said.

Simon said the public will have ample opportunity to comment on the proposed land trade.

The City Council will conduct the first public hearing on the matter at their June 7 meeting.

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