The Park City Chamber/Bureau on Tuesday said it will delay hiring a consultant to assist with the initial planning for the 2034 Winter Olympics.
The Chamber/Bureau said there was a “tremendous amount of interest” in a recent request for proposals, or RFP, that sought a consultant to create a plan covering the next 10 years of preparations for the Games. There were unspecified “clarifying questions” from those showing interest in the request for proposals that played a role in the decision to delay the effort, the Chamber/Bureau said.
“We feel that it is in our best interest to revisit the scope of work and re-issue the RFP at a later date. A more comprehensive and refined scope of work will ensure that we receive the deliverables that are most productive for our community,” the Chamber/Bureau said.
The effort to hire a consultant to create a 10-year plan for the Winter Olympic work is an early step as the community begins to prepare for the event. City Hall, the County Courthouse and the Chamber/Bureau are cooperating on the effort.
The deadline for submissions had been set for Aug. 30. The proposals were to have been evaluated from Aug. 31 until Sept. 13, with a tentative notice to the consultant selected on Sept. 16. The completion date for the work had been set for Jan. 15.
The parties had wanted a consultant to address a wide range of issues, including infrastructure plans, environmental and sustainability topics, the economic impact of the Games and a plan for the communications.
The Chamber/Bureau, Park City and Summit County moved quickly to seek a consultant after the International Olympic Committee in late July selected Salt Lake City as the host of the 2034 Games. Park City and surrounding Summit County will have a large role in the Games, as was the case during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and the Utah Olympic Park are identified as competition venues. The Park City area will also be key to the transportation, security and celebration plans.
The extended timeline in selecting a consultant will likely have negligible impact on the Winter Olympic work in the area with the start of the Games more than nine years into the future. The IOC selection this year provided more time for the preparations than the community had in the 2002 Winter Olympic era, when hosts were named seven years in advance of a Games.