Park City council weighs China Bridge redevelopment to revitalize Swede Alley corridor

PARK CITY, Utah — With the southern portion of China Bridge parking garage within a decade of the end of its service life, Park City officials are considering a broader redevelopment of the garage and surrounding Swede Alley corridor. In a discussion during Thursday’s city council meeting, city staff and councilmembers discussed options to pair parking infrastructure with new commercial space, public gathering areas, and improved transportation connections.

Council members weighed whether to follow a relatively straightforward plan to repair and eventually replace the garage or pursue a larger redevelopment of the southern portion of the parking garage, which was constructed in 1986.

The 2034 Olympics were also discussed, with some councilmembers saying the event puts pressure on making decisions and moving forward in order to avoid a major construction site in the center of town during the Games.

The conversation did not result in a final decision, but council members generally supported looking at Swede Alley as a broader district rather than treating China Bridge as an isolated parking project. Staff were directed to return with additional planning and financial analysis to help determine what that could look like.

The discussion built on conversations council has been having about the future of Historic Main Street Area Plan, which have included conversations on how to improve pedestrian circulation, transportation, and economic activity in the area.

Since completing the 2024 China Bridge structural assessment, the city has invested approximately $1.9 million in structural repairs, protective improvements, and operational upgrades, according to city staff. And replacing the southern structure with comparable parking that meets current code requirements is estimated at $14–19 million in current dollars. Staff estimated that replacement in 2030 or 2031 could cost approximately $16 million to $22 million.

A replacement project would likely require two construction seasons, staff said, with the timing and duration of a garage closure dependent on the city’s broader plans for downtown parking and construction.

An option for redevelopment

While the southern portion of the garage was building 40 years ago, the northern structure was just built in 2006. Although the two structures operate as a single parking facility, their differing ages and conditions provide flexibility in planning the property’s future, according to staff.

There lies the second option: use the southern portion’s needed replacement as a catalyst for a larger redevelopment of city-owned property along Swede Alley.

Under that approach, the city could combine parking with commercial development, public gathering spaces, and transportation improvements. The discussion also raised questions about the future of nearby city-owned properties, including the Old Town Transit Center, Marsac parking areas, and other parcels along Swede Alley.

Staff also noted that private development could also help offset some of the cost of replacing the garage.

The next phase will require additional analysis of the district’s potential uses, the role of private investment, the public benefits the city wants to achieve, and the timing of any major construction.