SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall announces plan to transform Ballpark neighborhood

Photo: Twitter/Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 1, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Monday released details of a plan to transform Salt Lake City’s Ballpark neighborhood.

“The plan, which the public will soon have the opportunity to provide feedback on, calls for an array of improvements including a new library, new festival street, additional parks, open spaces and improved transportation amenities for the neighborhood like sidewalks, trails and neighborhood level, pedestrian friendly retail and services,” said a news release from the Office of the Mayor.

The Ballpark neighborhood refers to the area of Salt Lake City that runs east-west between State Street and Interstate 15 and north-south between 900 South and 1700 South. The mayor’s team has been developing the Ballpark Station Area Plan, which lays out a vision for the neighborhood, with the help of community stakeholders and urban design experts for nearly two years, the news release said.

“The release of this plan marks a major milestone in the evolution of the Ballpark neighborhood,” Mendenhall said. “I have loved hearing ideas from the community about their dreams for their neighborhood and I think this plan reflects the best of those ideas for the future. I hope this plan sparks ongoing collaboration among all of our community partners to make our exciting shared vision a reality in the coming months and years.”

The mayor highlighted the six moves that include:

  • Creation of a Ballpark Station Area Transit zone.
  • Reconfiguration of the Ballpark TRAX Station to improve access from the west.
  • Improvement of 1300 South for pedestrians by creating new crossings and expanding and upgrading the street-level pedestrian experience.
  • Creation of a sense of place at and around the stadium and in a way that positively activates the area 365 days a year.
  • Repurposing of parking lots and underutilized properties to add activity to the heart of the neighborhood.
  • Investment in community amenities and green space to balance the growth this neighborhood will see with attributes that improve quality of life.

The new festival street will serve as a public gathering space for arts and cultural events but will remain open to vehicle traffic when not being used for events.

“We are pleased that adding a city library location is a major component of the Station Area Plan, as the value a library brings to a community is boundless,” Salt Lake City Public Library Acting Executive Director Deborah Ehrman said. “Throughout the planning process we will work closely with the Mayor’s Office, City Council, Ballpark Community Council, and other organizations. Community feedback will also play a pivotal role, as it did with the recent Sprague Branch remodel. We look forward to exploring a permanent presence in the beloved Ballpark neighborhood.”

As part of the announcement, Mendenhall hosted a pop-up street festival in the area where the new festival street is planned along West Temple and adjacent to the west side of the ballpark stadium. The plan also calls for the expanded use of the ballpark on non-game days to make the stadium a more functional part of the neighborhood.

A link to the mayor’s full remarks can be found here.

Mendenhall encouraged community members to provide feedback to the city ahead of the formal adoption of the plan by the Planning Commission and City Council. A 45-day public comment period will be opening in the days to come; during that time the public can provide further comments and feedback on the plan before it is finalized. Click here to view the plan.

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