A Park City man who once harbored ambitious plans to redevelop part of the Bonanza Park district expressed his support Thursday for another project near the land his partnership once controlled.

Mark J. Fischer appeared at a Park City City Council meeting to discuss the proposed redevelopment of the property where the DoubleTree by Hilton Park City – The Yarrow hotel is located. Mayor Nann Worel and the City Council had not sought comment on the project, but Fischer’s comments were nonetheless notable as further discussions about the redevelopment are looming.

Fischer has a long history of developing the Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive area, and the DoubleTree by Hilton Park City – The Yarrow is located just west of the site, a partnership in which Fischer has previously been involved.

Fischer did not comment in detail, but told elected officials that he believes it is “absolutely critical that you all find a way to get this project approved.” Failure to complete the cleanup could have far-reaching consequences, Fischer said.

“If that is rejected, I think that would be a major setback for the development and potential of Bonanza Park because the developers would say, ‘It’s too difficult to work with all these rules and regulations.'”

He said he had no financial interest in the redevelopment project.

“I just think it’s critical that you find a way to get this approved. That’s just my view,” he said.

Fischer was one of the partners in the Bonanza Park Partnership, which for years sought a comprehensive redevelopment of the neighborhood. The vision was ultimately scrapped due to concerns about a number of issues that arose during planning discussions at City Hall, such as building heights and the traffic that development would have generated.

The partnership eventually sold the key parcel, which extends inward from the southwest corner of the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive, to City Hall for nearly $20 million. City officials purchased the land with the intention of building an arts district there, with the Kimball Art Center and the Utah offices of the Sundance Institute as its central locations. Discussions about the future of the land continue.

The land in Bonanza Park and elsewhere along Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard has been considered ripe for redevelopment for years. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow occupies a highly visible location right at the intersection of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard. Some see redevelopment on this key corner as a potential catalyst for more extensive work in this area of ​​Park City.

The planned redevelopment of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow includes an apartment hotel, housing for workers with limited mobility or otherwise affordable housing, and a rooftop restaurant. The ground floor will house shops and restaurants. The developers see the project as something that would reinvent the intersection.

An open house hosted by the developer, Chicago-based Singerman Real Estate, is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the hotel, 1800 Park Ave.