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SALT LAKE CITY -- A local newspaper columnist once said, "Salt Lake City will be a great town, if they ever get it finished."
All major cities are constantly experiencing change, but the change happening now in Utah's capital city is dramatic, unprecedented and most importantly, well-managed.
As Mayor Ralph Becker presents his annual budget, it is impossible not to be impressed with the sheer number of major projects under way.
A billion-dollar downtown makeover; Trax lines heading to the airport; a plan for street cars to service Sugar House; a renovated Gallivan Center; a rejuvenated Pioneer Park where a farmer's market and summer concert series thrive; a new police and justice center; plans for an open market in the Rio Grande depot; an eyesore of a viaduct demolished, making way for a grand boulevard of the future; a developing "cultural core" with plans for a Broadway-style theater; streets that are more pedestrian and bicycle friendly; not to mention a systematic revision of municipal codes and ordinances to better manage future growth.
In all, it is a ledger of incredible civic energy, guaranteeing the vitality and viability of Utah's urban core.
The Mayor's new budget seeks to keep the city's fiscal house in order to accommodate the growth spurt -- it aims to balance expenses and revenues in a way would put the city in a place, to use one of the Mayor's favorite words, of "sustainability."
Not everyone will agree with every part of any mayor's agenda, but it is difficult to find fault with this mayor's focused and measured style of management, as well as his efforts to build bridges among diverse interests, and create a common vision for a city in an historic transformation.
Email: cpsarras@ksl.com
