‘This plan is ambitious’: Salt Lake County Mayor Wilson talks about the revitalization of Salt Lake City
Jun 20, 2024, 10:15 PM | Updated: 10:38 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson has been involved in meetings and plans to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City.
“Oh, my goodness, what a pressure cooker! I think we were all surprised that the Phoenix team moved so quickly to Utah,” Wilson said in an interview with KSL TV.
She said she and other elected officials were “taken off guard” by the need to move quickly as they consider plans to revitalize downtown.
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The Smith Entertainment Group has proposed a master plan of redevelopment east of the Delta Center, which includes county-owned property – The Salt Palace, Abravanel Hall and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.
Wilson said the county is just one major voice with a say on what happens downtown.
“I think there are four primary partners: SEG, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, and the State of Utah,” Wilson said.
She talked of other invested voices, such as arts organizations, downtown businesses, and churches that own land on either side.
“We’re excited about hockey, but we also love arts and culture. So, you know, I really do think everyone has a voice in this process and should use it,” she said.
In May, Utah Symphony players created a petition to save Abravanel Hall that gathered nearly 44,000 signatures, and last week, the Salt Lake City Planning Commission recommended the hall be preserved.
For Wilson, she said all these voices will contribute to her decision on Abravanel Hall’s future.
“I think working on at least any decision that I make,” she said, “ I want all of the information that I can get, including public input. So I think it’s a vital part of this.”
Wilson said cost weighs into this, particularly for Abravanel Hall, which needs a new sprinkler system, HVAC, which is now connected to both the museum and the Salt Lake, and greater ADA compliance.
“I don’t know what that call will ultimately be, but I’m working on options and I made a commitment to the public that we would look at and weigh in and do our best to preserve the hall,” she said. “Everyone loves to emphasize the acoustics. No matter what we do, the acoustics should be better, not worse.”
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Another worry is that Salt Lake County residents will have to pay more taxes for all the new buildings and remodels. Wilson is hoping Salt Lake City will help cover the costs.
“Salt Lake City right now is looking at a sales tax increase to cover much of the cost. Just the county needs to look at resources and work with the state to generate additional resources to adjust to the Salt Palace,” Wilson said. “And then, of course, we have multiple partners to address the needs of Abravanel Hall, UMOCA, Japantown, etc,”
The Master Plan calls for a plaza or walkway from the Delta Center to City Creek, with all entities opening onto that area.
“If you leave the Delta Center, you hit a wall. You hit a section of the Salt Palace that is underutilized,” she said. “This is a generational opportunity to activate a dead zone.”
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Abravanel Hall’s doors face east, not south, as in the new plan.
“If you look at that vision that many are excited about, including me, of that openness that’s been compromised by the preservation of the hall. So, that’s really what this is about,” Wilson said.
Ultimately, Wilson said she is optimistic about the future of Salt Lake County and downtown Salt Lake City.
“You know, I think that this plan is ambitious, but this plan is necessary, and I couldn’t be more excited than the upside of what we could be doing here. I walked the area this morning, I really believe we’re going to benefit financially, culturally, and we’re all going to have a lot of fun and love being downtown again if we can get this done.”