Utah Heritage Foundation

Back on May 19, Salt Lake City Planning held a workshop with property and business owners, nearby residents, stakeholders, and other interested parties to discuss how to make 400 South a more inviting, livable corridor through good planning.  With large maps and markers, participants were able to describe their perfect neighborhood.  They included ideas about future land use, historic preservation, housing, transportation, jobs, walkability and transportation, and more.

This work is taking place thanks to a grant to the city from HUD to focus efforts on building better community around the three TRAX stops on the boulevard.

Of course, there are likely hundreds of historic properties within the 1/2 mile wide corridor that is being studied.  Many of those that exist today are in direct conflict with the city's zoning which allows up to 7 1/2 stories within the transit corridor, which is one block on either side of the transit line on 400 South.

Could wide swaths of historic buildings be in jeopardy?  Looking at recent development patterns, likely not in the near future.  However, it's happened before as nearly 20 historic structures have met the bulldozer's teeth due to the Emigration Court project on 500 East and stretching to 600 East.  And it's likely to happen at some point in the future, it's just a matter of when.

So your input matters!  Provide your comments on keeping historic preservation a priority in Central City by emailing the city.

Read more about the project and a summary of the May 19th workshop here.

Photo of Rumel House, 358 S 500 E, which is within the 400 South transit corridor.  Fortunately, UHF acquired a preservation easement on the property about 10 years ago and thus it's protected from demolition by the most powerful preservation tool that is available.