Vernal City Council announced Friday the successful negotiation to purchase the Lamplighter Inn property at 120 East Main Street for public use to support the revitalization of downtown. “Reaching this agreement means that the pending condemnation proceedings will cease, and the court petition will be withdrawn,” shares the announcement. “After much deliberation, the negotiated price was accepted as it fell below the midpoint of the property owner’s appraisal and the City’s appraisal and offered the significant advantage of avoiding the condemnation process, which would have incurred substantial legal fees and resulted in lasting property restrictions. The majority of the acquisition cost will be covered by a federal grant awarded in 2022 to Uintah County, in partnership with Vernal City. With this acquisition complete, the City is well-positioned to pursue further grants to fund the necessary clean-up and construction efforts to complete the community’s vision of developing this property into a multi-seasonal public gathering space.” The plan is to transform the Lamplighter property into a public gathering space to host community festivals, events, and activities. Vernal City has secured the Terracon/MHTN team to facilitate the planning process and community members are encouraged to get involved, share their ideas, and help shape the future of this downtown town square. “Vernal City looks forward to community involvement in this exciting project to revitalize our downtown,” said Mayor Doug Hammond. “The purchase of the Lamplighter Inn property is in response to years of resident requests to clean up this part of downtown. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the community and downtown businesses to create a plan for the future use of the site.” The current tenants within the hotel which include a salon, restaurant, and the Hotel Haunt will be able to remain in business during the planning and design processes. The planning process, financing, environmental remediation, redevelopment, and construction is anticipated to occur over the next five years. For more information on the Downtown Plan, visit www.vernal.gov.
