Dana Williams served three terms as the mayor of Park City, guiding the community through economic peaks in the post-2002 Winter Olympic period and then the trough of the Great Recession.And the Williams family decades ago owned a bar on Main Street. His background on the street dates to the 1960s and, during his administration, City Hall continued to invest in Main Street. The expansion of the China Bridge garage was completed early in his time in office. As Park City leaders consider a package of potential improvements that would transform the Main Street core with public spaces, hotels and other upgrades, Williams in an interview on Tuesday expressed deep-rooted concern with some of the key possibilities.The former mayor made the comments just before Park City’s elected officials are slated to take public input and possibly vote on the Main Street Area Plan on Thursday. The Main Street Area Plan, crafted by a City Hall-seated committee, calls for numerous improvements, including the development of hotels and transportation upgrades.“I am adamantly opposed to the vision,” Williams said about the Main Street Area Plan.Williams is especially worried about the possibility of additional commercial development along Swede Alley, which has traditionally served a support role to Main Street. A concept under discussion as part of the Main Street efforts envisions the development of hotels, a grocer, retailers and housing.He labeled the concept the “commercialization of Swede Alley.” He said Swede Alley nowadays is a “pressure-release valve” for Main Street.“Swede Alley was built to support that,” he said, referring to Main Street itself. “This new plan turns Swede Alley into a second Main Street.”He said there would be “no charm” to a redeveloped Swede Alley, and businesses there would compete with those on Main Street.Williams described the vision for Swede Alley as tantamount to expanding the resort industry with a new base that offers lodging and retailers. He questioned whether it is the community’s responsibility to increase the amount of lodging in the Main Street core with the hope doing so leading to economic benefits.He said he does not want “Old Town to turn into resort-base development” with the Main Street core today being unique.Williams said, though, certain concepts, like creating more public gathering spaces on Main Street, could bring benefits.He expressed concern about a conceptual timeline for the Main Street work that calls for projects to be completed by the opening of the 2034 Winter Olympics. He said there has not been enough input by the public even as a vote by the City Council is possible on Thursday.“I don’t think the public is aware of how massive this is,” he said, pointing to the years of construction that would be required.Williams plans to testify during the hearing on Thursday. He said he anticipates there will be other critics providing input, as well, describing the potential of “broad-based opposition.”“I think we’ll certainly see some people are waking up to ‘Whoa,’” he said.The supporters of the Main Street efforts argue the improvements would assist as the shopping, dining and entertainment strip attempts to remain competitive with outlying commercial districts.The post Former Park City mayor ‘adamantly opposed’ to vision for Main Street transformation appeared first on Park Record.