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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake’s Station Center development project is a step closer to reality.
The city’s Redevelopment Board unanimously voted Tuesday to contract with two developers to covert the area west of the historic Rio Grande Depot into a mixed-use urban neighborhood, including both residential and commercial properties.
“It’s great to see the private sector and the public sector work in unison to kick off a multipurpose-type development,” Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker told Doug Wright Wednesday.
The designated area — about nine acres between the Depot and UTA’s Salt Lake Central Station — has been eyed by the city for years. But major road blocks have kept development from moving forward.
“When the recession hit us so hard, as it did everywhere throughout the rest of the country, in 2007, 2008, the area was poised for development then but some folks understandably backed off,” Becker said. “There obviously have been concerns in terms of the homeless facilities and how that impacts development.”
In terms of the homeless issue, Becker is leading efforts to examine the current location of homeless services to see what the best move might be. Results on that study are expected by the end of the year.
But things are looking up, and Becker has high hopes for the project and what it will do for the city.
“This funky, old part of Salt Lake City is emerging as we have been hoping it would into this great, cool area,” Becker said.
