PROVO, Utah — The Osmond family is helping spearhead a privately funded project to build a world-class performance venue in Provo Canyon on land that has been mined for more than 100 years.
The project, called the Vesper Amphitheater, was announced Tuesday. It will span roughly 100 acres and is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, though organizers did not disclose an exact figure. Organizers plan to break ground in the spring of next year, with completion expected in the fall of 2028.
David Osmond, executive director of the Vesper Amphitheater, said the project is designed to restore and reimagine the site.
"The goal is not to overwhelm the canyon, but to transform it from an existing gravel pit into something more beautiful, more usable, more stable, more thoughtfully planned — a gateway to the Provo Canyon," David Osmond said.
The vision is to create an atmosphere that blends nature with the world of entertainment.
Donny Osmond, chairman of the Vesper Amphitheater Advisory Board, said the project will benefit the entire region.
"What we're going to be putting here is something that Utahns can be so proud of," he said. "It's going to bring families, it's going to bring communities, it's going to bring tourism, it's going to bring economics to this whole area, and we're doing it right. We're not just slapping a venue here and say, 'OK, come to a concert.' No, no, no, the environment that we're protecting here is going be the trails... It's going to be so beautiful to come here, not to enjoy just entertainment, but to enjoy the ambience of this."
Project heads are working with the city of Provo and UDOT and still have hurdles to overcome, including traffic in a busy canyon.
Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said she is confident the team can find solutions.
"I know that we are going to be looking for creative solutions, whether it has to do with public transportation, different entrances coming in here, we've got the Provo River that people are concerned about. It's across the road, but this team, we've talked to them, and they are very cognizant of all of the challenges that are here, and they really want to work with the environment, and so anything that comes up, I know we can work it out," Judkins said.
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