SLC's Mayor Becker to Decide The Leonardo's Fate

Aug 20, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Yesterday, the Salt Lake City council handed over The Leonardo's fate to Mayor Ralph Becker after a two-hour discussion. He says his staff will begin today carefully reviewing the museum's scaled-back $11 million proposal for renovating the old main library campus.

"We're going to do everything we can to make sure that in the redevelopment of that building, that we accomplish what we need to, in terms of the building being updated," Becker says. "And that we have an operational plan in place, and budgeting in place, so the Leonardo, or whoever else is in the building, can be and will be successful."

Becker has suggested requesting proposals from other organizations interested in the building. The council gave him the go-ahead to decide whether that would be fiscally appropriate in light of discrepancies with The Leonardo's latest proposal and previous estimates for renovating the library. However, Becker says he has not decided yet whether to issue the RFP.

The Leonardo's executive director, Peter Giles says the move creates a perception the museum doesn't have city support. He says this will hamper The Leonardo's fund raising efforts.

"I think if we get into that discussion about sharing the building or other users, it really clouds the issue and slows down the momentum that I think opening Body Worlds is going to give to The Leonardo," Giles says.

The Body Worlds exhibit is on schedule to open September 19. The Leonardo wants to open permanently in the library building next year. The Leonardo's latest $11 million plan is significantly less than a $19 million proposal approved in February by the city council. It is also less than the city's $16 million estimate for a minimal renovation of the property.

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