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SALT LAKE CITY — Residents in Sugar House are getting fired up about proposed neighborhood renovations that could include putting up a 5-story building in place of a favorite local eatery.
The corner of 2100 East and 2100 South harkens to the past — a '40s, '50s and '60s string of neighborhood shops that have definitely seen better days.
Yet there is affection for the Sugar House neighborhood's intersection of 21st and 21st.
“We just think maybe they should do a little updating around here, but still keep the small-town shops,” said resident Heidi Bishop. “Nothing big, no big apartment complexes, nothing like that.”
But that's exactly what a developer might be considering. The city has a pending zoning change request for the corner to allow a retail-residential complex up to 55 feet tall. It would likely involve new buildings, which means the old ones would be torn down.
In some ways, a change might be seem like a good idea, but to a lot of people, it's a bad one when it includes the Blue Plate Diner. It's an institution full of character in this neighborhood, and people have affection for the food — and especially the atmosphere.
“I've been eating here for years,” said diner and resident Joe Gondek. “I really enjoy the food and whole atmosphere thing and hate to see that go.”
The building owner might be willing to sell the property, though, to avoid costly and inevitable repairs and upgrades. If that's the case, many in the neighborhood want a say about what's next.
“Blight is no good, but neither is poor planning and allowing something that's going to change the character of the neighborhood,” said resident Cameron Carpenter.
When it comes to redevelopment in this area, it may be a case of "not if, but when." It looks like any change will have plenty of input from people who live around here.
