SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City's Ballpark neighborhood held an in-person meeting Monday night to answer some of the questions residents have been asking for months.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Ballpark residents, like Jordan Menzel, led a discussion about the future of Smith’s Ballpark.
“Tonight is part mourning," said Menzel. "It's also part acknowledging that there's a long road ahead. Half of the year, citizens from all over the state come down here, and that energy, that activity really does bring a sense of stability, safety and excitement for those who live here.”
Many local businesses, like Fit To Recover, a community center for people in sobriety, intentionally chose to establish themselves in the neighborhood.
“We just saw an area that needed some love and some TLC and some resources for people in the community to come and get support, build community connection," said Vickie Shaw, the vice president of the community center. "We've come into contact with a lot of the unsheltered in the area and been able to offer them services and resources, hygiene packets, food. I think at some point we're going to put an outdoor shower there.”
Ballpark residents also learned about one new proposed development for the Smith’s Ballpark parking lot.
More than 50 proposals are being heard as solutions for what to do next with the parking lot just North of the stadium that is owned by the city.
During Monday's meeting, a pitch that would turn the area into a "swarm" of community activity was heard.
"The Swarm" would have housing, retail spaces, daycare, and outdoor space on the rooftop for concerts and farmer's markets.
“The small area plan actually calls for all of these items," said Jonathan Lee, an architect with Designs of Tomorrow. "We just wanted to see if we could fit it all in kind of one development.”
Salt Lake City would own The Swarm, and the millions of dollars it could generate would go straight into reinvesting in the Ballpark neighborhood.
“We see a big opportunity to actually bring all of these kinds of ideas to the neighborhood and just create, like, the second heartbeat of Salt Lake City," said Lee.
Residents have until Friday this week to submit ideas for the Ballpark NEXT Design Competition. After the city narrows down the proposals, the public will be able to vote and have the winning design by June.
