Thank you to everyone who joined us for the August District 5 Town Hall! For those who were not able to make it, here’s a quick recap of what was discussed:
City Council Updates:
Sports, Entertainment, Culture, and Convention (SECC) District
In March 2024, the Utah State Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 272, the Capital City Revitalization Zone Bill. This enabled Salt Lake City to partner with Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) to create a downtown revitalization zone.
- This bill authorized the City to levy a sales tax increase of up to 0.5% for up to 30 years to help fund the project.
- This bill established a timeline for decision-making by requiring the proposed participation agreement to be completed by September 1.
At its July 9 formal meeting, the Council unanimously endorsed the proposed participation agreement and project area.
The Council will consider voting on the proposed zoning changes as part of the SECC District on Tuesday, August 27.
Sears Block Rezone
The Council is considering a proposal to rezone 10 parcels owned by Intermountain Health at approximately 754 S State Street from Downtown Support District (D-2) to Central Business District (D-1).
- Intermountain Health proposes building a new hospital on the property if the rezone is approved.
- The property was long home to the Sears building, which operated from 1947 to 2018, before being demolished.
The Council will receive a follow-up briefing on this item on Tuesday, August 27, with a second public hearing that evening. A Council vote is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 3.
Learn more about the Sears Block Rezone
Fiscal Year 2024-25 City Budget
- Earlier this summer, the Council officially adopted the City’s budget for FY2024-25.
Learn more about the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
Each year, the City sets aside funds from the budget for the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which provides money for citywide community projects that improve public property.
- For FY25, the Council allocated over $58.1 million to the CIP.
Over the summer, the Council has reviewed funding requests from the public and the City for CIP funding. The final decision on project-specific funding must be made by Sunday, September 1, and potential Council action is slated for Tuesday, August 27.
Ballpark NEXT
The Redevelopment Agency (RDA) has selected the design firm Perkins&Will to guide the Ballpark NEXT Urban Design Framework process for the Smith’s Ballpark site, a detailed roadmap to guide future development.
- This roadmap will be used to solicit developers to construct the project, most likely in phases.
The process has officially kicked off, and the RDA and consultant team will spend the next few months refining design concepts based on existing plans, technical research, market research, and stakeholder feedback.
- The RDA board will review a draft concept in early 2025, at which time public comment can be made.
Find project updates at BallparkNEXT.com.
District 5 Park Project Updates
SLC Public Lands provided updates on a variety of projects in District 5, including Liberty Park, the Fleet Block, Jefferson Park, Ida M. Cotten Park, and 900 South landscaping. Exciting updates include the unveiling of the final design for Liberty Park’s Rotary Playground and the upcoming resurfacing of the park’s tennis courts.
Learn more about the projects discussed below:
Commercial & Mixed-Use Zoning District Consolidation
SLC Planning shared information about its Commercial and Mixed-Use Zoning Districts proposal.
The division is working toward consolidating 27 zoning districts in order to help the City’s zoning ordinance better support businesses and neighborhood business districts, make it more user friendly for the public, and simplify regulations.
Learn more about Commercial & Mixed-use Zoning District Consolidation
Livable Streets Program:
SLC Transportation provided an update about its Livable Streets traffic-calming program. The goal of this initiative is to collaborate with residents to enhance traffic safety throughout the City.
District 5 currently has three active Livable Streets zones that are slated for traffic-calming improvements.
Learn more about the program and District 5’s Livable Streets zones
Homelessness Update:
Michelle Hoon from the City’s Homeless Engagement and Response Team (HEART) and Sgt. Nathan Meinzer from the Salt Lake City Police Department provided updates on homelessness citywide and in District 5.
HEART has been working on connecting individuals to resources, holding unsheltered resource fairs, helping with litter and biowaste removal, and utilizing a contracted outreach team to work with unsheltered individuals.
- There have been 59 homeless encampment cleanups and 1,270 concerns regarding homelessness resolved in D5.
SLCPD shared that it is using the New Hope Initiative to make interactions with unsheltered communities and individuals more community-oriented.
Learn more about what the City is doing to address homelessness
Tags: Ballpark NEXT, D5 Town Hall, homelessness, Parks, Rezone