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SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders of Utah's capital city are close to finalizing plans for the new Glendale Regional Park, which is set to replace the old Raging Waters water park that used to exist on the city's west side.
The Salt Lake City Council received a presentation of the proposed final version of the Glendale Regional Park Plan during a meeting Tuesday. The council is tentatively scheduled to vote on whether to adopt the plan later this month.
The plan serves as an outlook of what the city wants to do as it expands the park, while also establishing what park programming will look like in the future. The park is scheduled to open next year and expand with time.
"(It) will guide future improvements and the development of Glendale Regional Park," said Katherine Maus, a planner for Salt Lake City's public lands department. "The plan incorporates programming, operations and maintenance needs; outlines physical improvements for the site; and makes recommendations for additional exploration in the future."
The proposed final plan
Most of the plan hasn't changed since the department unveiled its initial renderings for the 17-acre space last year. Maus explained that the final plan "relies heavily" on input provided by Glendale residents, such as showcasing "the unique and diverse culture" of the community while also adding amenities that people from across the city may enjoy.
"Ultimately, we want this park to be a vision led by the community and for it to reflect the neighborhood's culture, diversity and needs," she said. "It needs to be a park that increases equitable access to nature and recreation, and to provide programming and entertainment at low or no cost."
Nearly 1,700 people of all ages and backgrounds provided feedback on the park over the past two years either through meetings, events or online surveys. This helped the staff pinpoint projects desired by the community.
The full build-out, which may take several years to complete, calls for:
- Community gathering and event spaces: a promenade or community plaza spanning the north central gateway, an event stage and lawn, smaller pavilions and picnic lawns, as well a riverside beach and boardwalk.
- Play places for everyone: hiking, walking and paved trails in addition to an all-ages and abilities playground. There will also be climbing features, multi-use sports courts, a dog park and a sledding hill. The city is also seeking to build six new pickleball courts on land adjacent to the park.
- Water recreation: an outdoor pool and access to the Jordan River for recreation, including a kayak rental station and a boat dock and ramp.
- Land recreation: an ice/roller skating ribbon, a skateboarding area and bike trails.
This plan also calls for an on-site programming manager and two part-time seasonal park attendants tied to ongoing operations. This includes programming tied to fitness activities, nature walks and viewings, arts and crafts classes, lectures and more.
"One of the top priorities of this community and the city is to have the creation of a safe space with high levels of programming to make it just really welcoming," Maus explained. "It was pretty clear that programming would be super essential to the site to keep it safe, usable and engaging as it comes online."
The new space could allow for events, festivals and activities that are currently "maxed out" at other parks in the city, added Kristin Riker, director of Salt Lake City Public Lands. She said Liberty Park is filled out about every weekend.
Allison Rowland, a budget and policy analyst for the city, said these and other programming plans may result in annual costs of a little more than $600,000. That's because the city doesn't currently have a system in place to provide all of the proposed recommendations.
During Tuesday's meeting, Salt Lake City Council Chairman Darin Mano suggested the department find partners that could help provide programming while also lessening the cost burden.
Dealing with rising costs
The project originally had only $3.2 million, which came from fees developers pay the city with new construction and are used for parks and other public spaces. However, it's set to receive $27 million in the near future from general obligation bonds issued by the city after residents approved the measure in November.
That might be enough to cover the rest of the project, but it also may be just the beginning.
The current cost estimate to fully implement the plan now ranges between $30 million and $50 million because of "relatively high inflation in the construction industry," according to Rowland, who wrote about the finances in a memo to the Salt Lake City Council ahead of Tuesday's meeting.
"The funds for many of the features and activities have not yet been identified," she added during the meeting. "This means that full implementation of the plan will be contingent on funding availability year-to-year, typically. ... (We) will have to have more precise estimates as we go along, so (the cost range) will narrow."
What to expect as construction begins
At the same time, the park must open by April 2024 as a requirement tied to past federal funds that the site received when it was a water park. The two factors are why the Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands officials decided to open the park in phases.
Since the bond funds aren't available just yet, city officials approved a budget amendment in December that included $4.35 million in funds to implement the first phase of the park. Maus said construction on the initial park amenities will begin this summer because crews have finally finished demolition of the old water park.
Public lands officials have cautioned residents that the park won't open with all its amenities and features, which is why they are urging people to lower their expectations for April 2024. But they do believe that the first phase of construction will be complete by the deadline.
The initial phase will include an undeveloped hillside with space to run around, an outdoor basketball court, a pavilion and a playground. Access to the Jordan River in the area will also remain open, allowing for more nature-oriented programming to begin.
The council is expected to vote on the plan during its March 21 meeting. While there might be some final tweaks to it, members of the council appeared to be thrilled that the project is moving forward.
"I think we're all really excited about this new amenity on the west side," Mano said.
