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- Salt Lake City's Open Streets returns in June, closing Main Street to vehicles.
- The event features themed blocks, including family activities, art, markets and dining.
- This year's event also tests potential permanent street changes.
SALT LAKE CITY — Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City will be closed off to motor vehicles every weekend in June, but there's a new twist as Open Streets returns five years after its creation.
This year's version could be the shape of Main Street to come.
Salt Lake City leaders unveiled their plans for the annual event on Monday, which still focuses on Main Street from South Temple to 400 South. However, all four blocks will feature something completely different:
- South Temple to 100 South will feature Family Commons with games and "hands-on activities" for kids and families on the City Creek block.
- 100 South to 200 South will be a "celebration of creativity" with live performances and public art on the "Arts Avenue."
- 200 South to 300 South is slated to be the "Village Market," featuring an "open-air market" with handmade goods, local vendors and nonprofits.
- 300 South to 400 South will feature more outdoor dining opportunities and drink options for the restaurants in the area.
The festivities will take place from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Friday and Saturday in June.
"It reflects our values of connection and creativity, and it reminds us that when we design our streets for people, we create space for community to thrive," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement.
Open Streets debuted in 2020 as a COVID-19 pandemic measure, closing Main Street off to motor vehicles so that businesses along the downtown stretch could extend seating and bring back in-person customers on the weekends. It's gone through different iterations since then, including an "urban playground" in 2023 and a shift to the Granary District last year.
While it's now in its fifth year, the concept remains in "pilot mode" as the city tests out various concepts for a potentially permanent plan, says Peter Makowski, deputy director of Salt Lake City's Business Development Division.
This year's version takes into account two new factors. First, it adds more "activation and programming" following feedback from residents and business owners over the last four years. Second, it's a test of long-term plans for Main Street.
The idea of turning Main Street into a more walkable promenade dates back to the city's 1962 Second Century Plan. Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development officials released their Main Street Promenade Study last year, after Open Streets rekindled interest in the idea.
This year's programming aligns more closely with a long-term vision outlined in the study. The vision includes plans to break the proposed promenade's four blocks into four quadrants, from an all-ages "wonderland" by City Creek all the way to a "Restaurant Row" closer to 400 South. Makowski told KSL.com that this year's event will include more seating and other infrastructure that aims to improve the experience for people of all ages as the city tests out the concept.
"The study made a lot of recommendations for Main Street, and I think we want to use Open Streets as a way to demonstrate some of those concepts," he said.
There have been few updates since last year's study was published, but it's possible that this year's Open Streets can offer insights to fine-tune the final design of the estimated $125 million project.
Business owners in the area, on the other hand, are hopeful for more immediate "Open Street" impacts as downtown still recovers from the pandemic five years later.
"There's nothing like seeing Main Street packed with people — the street feels alive," said Jason Lecates, who owns both Whiskey Street and White Horse on Main Street. "We take pride in welcoming both familiar faces and new ones."
