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Richard Piatt Reporting...Long-time, established business-owners in downtown Salt Lake City have a bone to pick with city government.
Most are upset that new businesses, and large retailers like Nordstrom, are offered Redevelopment Agency -money when they say they could use some help too.
These are firmly established businesses like Utah Woolen Mills and Sam Weller's Bookstore.
They watch the city flash cash in front of retailers like Nordstrom and others and wonder why they're survival downtwon isn't worth something, too.
Utah Woolen Mills has been in Salt Lake City for 98 years, surviving hard times--including light rail construction and wild economic ups-and-downs.
Same for the landmark Sam Weller's: a business that survived hard times a few years ago.
Both watch Nordstrom get mutli-million dollar funding opportunities--which the company says it won't pursue.
And six smaller businesses, including these locally owned resturants are getting up to 20-thousand dollars from the Redevelopment Agency to help them out.
The more established business owners like that those new places are here---but at the same time are asking: What about us?
Bart Stringham/Utah Woolen Mills: "THE SAD THING IS THAT MAIN STREET WAS DESTROYED BY POLICIES BEFORE. AND NOW THEY HAVE TO USE MONEY TO ENTICE PEOPLE TO STAY. AND NOT TO CRY SOUR GRAPES, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STUCK IT OUT, WHAT CONCESIONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN? ZERO."
No one wants to deny the smaller businesses like these resturants their R-D-A grant money.
They are clearly frustrated at corporate power and money, which heavily influence planning decisions now days.
One resturant on Main Street -- in place for more than three years -- is even asking for money to help it survive, a request the city is reportedly taking seriously.