SALT LAKE CITY — Things are changing just west of downtown Salt Lake City. As new housing units and businesses take shape on North Temple, greater plans are in the works that would give the area an entirely new look.
Late last year, Rocky Mountain Power and the Larry H. Miller company announced plans to redevelop 100 acres of land known as the Power District. The area stretches from Redwood Road to the Jordan River and would be anchored by a Major League Baseball stadium.
However, construction could mean big changes for local businesses.
“The community love us around this area,” said Paramjit Kaur, owner of Star of India restaurant.
The restaurant has operated for 33 years in various locations around Salt Lake City. The last eight years have been on the corner of Redwood and North Temple.
“North Temple changed a lot,” Kaur said. “Where we started from, it was empty. Eight years ago, it was nothing. It was empty. Now it's just building after building and it has become a really good location for us.”
Star of India has a front row seat to North Temple's evolution.
“It’s grown in good ways,” Kaur said.
If construction crews move in, more changes could be coming.
City leaders are working with developers to be advocates for North Temple community members.
“It has the chance, if done correctly, to be a catalytic project,” said Victoria Petro, the city councilmember who represents the northwest quadrant of Salt Lake City.
Petro is a member of the Big League Utah advisory board — a group of local, state, and business leaders sharing their expertise and expectations for the development. She is working to make sure those who invested in North Temple long ago benefit from the development.
“The excitement for me goes everywhere, including making sure Param at Star of India has a permanent location and thrives beyond the success she’s had now,” Petro said. “All the way through to hoping to see the kids in my neighborhood who play at Rose Park Baseball be bat boys one day.”
Petro is encouraged by the willingness of developers to seek community input.
In a statement provided to FOX13 News, a spokesperson for the Larry H. Miller company said they are "excited to work with our westside partners, the State of Utah and Salt Lake City to create a unified vision and catalytic master plan for the Power District, the front door to our Capitol City. We want to build on the culture and vibrancy of this community to design a statewide amenity that is the preferred site for an MLB expansion team. Local businesses are the foundation to, and around, the Power District and we continue to meet with our neighbors to better understand their business plans as we invest in human capital and economic opportunities in the area.”
Major changes could be months or years away. While the future can be uncertain, Kaur is confident the future is bright. In the past 33 years, the restaurant has survived moves and challenges like the COVD-19 pandemic, but one constant keeps customers coming back.
“If you have the food, they will come to you no matter what,” she said. “Food and service makes a huge difference.”
