YOUR AD HERE »

Rory Murphy, developer with public service streak, starts City Council bid

Jay Hamburger THE PARK RECORD

Rory Murphy, a developer with a wide-ranging background in public service, filed paperwork on Monday to compete in the Park City Council campaign.

Murphy, who is 51 years old, lives in Prospector and has lived in Park City for 22 years. He has served in a variety of public and not-for-profit positions. Murphy has been involved in several high-profile developments in Park City since the 1990s and is among the most prolific developers to work inside the city limits during that time.

Murphy by Monday morning had not finalized a platform. He said his campaign will stress issues like community development and communications between major parties in Park City like City Hall and the private sector. Murphy said housing issues will be a platform plank, but he did not provide details.

"I have great concerns regarding the availability of work force housing given the economic pressures on housing throughout the city," Murphy said.

Murphy said the low number of City Council candidates by Monday morning influenced his decision to mount a campaign.

"My interest is seeing a legitimate race. I mean three people filing for three spots is not a legitimate race," Murphy said.

Murphy’s development work stretches from the upper reaches of Deer Valley, to Old Town to the edge of Thaynes Canyon.

He was a high-ranking executive at United Park City Mines as the firm secured the hotly contested development rights for the project that was built as Empire Pass. He was heavily involved in the discussions.

Murphy departed United Park City Mines afterward, eventually leading the Silver Star development team. The slopeside project is in Thaynes Canyon. He is now developing the Rio Grande project in Old Town.

Murphy served a term on the Park City Planning Commission ending in 2009. He is the chairman of a Park City School District steering committee considering the future of school development. The work is ongoing.

He is a past chairman and remains a member of a Sundance Film Festival Utah advisory board. Other service includes time on a Summit County judicial selection committee, the Park City Rotary Club, the Park City Historical Society executive board and a City Hall commission that delved into soils issues. He has received two awards from the Utah Heritage Foundation, honoring preservation work at Silver Star and the now-defunct Park City Silver Mine Adventure.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.