As many of you know, the owner of all the buildings from the Blue Boutique on 2100 South over and down the west side of Highland Drive to Zion\'s Bank is planning to demolish everything to build new 7-story high rise condos, office space and street-level retail. The small brown bar building (the original Tap Room) is currently independently owned, but this property may be acquired as well.
Please sign this petition to counteract the claims being promulgated by the developer and others that the majority of the community is in favor of the redevelopment plans as proposed. We believe razing all the original brick buildings (three of which are hidden under that corrugated metal facade) will seriously compromise the remaining historic charm, character, and uniqueness of Sugar House. This area of Sugar House has evolved over the past century and has buildings that represent nearly every decade of that evolutionary process. All this beautiful complexity of layers will be lost for one, new, large-scale development. This new pattern of development will also disrupt the delicate balance that has been achieved in Sugar House between old and new buildings and national and local retailers.
We have started this petition to show that, contrary to being in favor of an urban renewal approach to redevelopment, the community would like the property owner to seriously consider options other than tearing down historically significant buildings. Structural engineers have done very brief analyses of some of these buildings. While the corner buildings are not in as good of shape as the Blue Boutique building (historically known as the Granite Lumber or Granite Mart building and nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, but not listed due to owner objection) the fact is that they are probably buildings that can be upgraded and stabilized successfully. The owner uses these analyses and broad estimates to defend his intent to tear the buildings down, but that over-simplifies the matter. While restoring and stabilizing these buildings would require a substantial amount of money, the benefit of receiving significant savings through the historic tax credit program (10 to 20% of renovation-related costs) is specifically designed to offset that amount. In the end, the total investment in projects like these is usually about 20% less than what would be spent to construct new replacement buildings. Reusing these buildings would be a positive contribution to the sustainability of Sugar House, not only from a cultural and economic standpoint but also an environmental one, by preventing millions of pounds of waste from being sent to the landfill, and by capturing all the embodied energy invested in the buildings. The owner would also save hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees associated with taking the remains of the buildings to the landfill.
It is a shame that all but one of the tenants has already been evicted (additional money that could have come in from leases), based on the assumption that the Planning Commission will grant permission to demolish the buildings and start development. Any approval is at best months away and now we are unfortunately left with empty buildings. Currently, the owner is pursuing a demolition permit by using a loophole in our zoning ordinance that allows these buildings to be torn down by only submitting a \"landscaping plan\" - essentially creating a vacant lot at our most vibrant intersection of Sugar House, merely to avoid receiving direction from the community and Planning Commission regarding the importance of incorporating at least some of these buildings into the development proposal. Please speak out against this premature demolition and encourage the owner to save the most viable of these buildings and develop a design that can truly be considered Sugar House. These buildings can never be recreated, no matter how much brick is used on the new buildings.
If we can show up at the final public input session of the Planning Commission with a petition that has hundreds of names on it (I know we can do it) we can have an impact. Lets work toward seeing a project in Sugar House that is a fabulous mix of existing assets and new opportunities. A project that represents the scale and character for which the SHBD is famous. Saving the Blue Boutique and the former Sugar House Coffee building would account for less than one fourth of the total area of Phase I leaving plenty of room for compatible and complementary new buildings alongside and behind.
Please sign this and forward it on to any Salt Lake resident that you think cares. We hope in 10 years we can still go over to visit a unique, vibrant Sugar House, instead of the latest display of homogeneity, don\'t you
Please leave your comments, email, and, if you feel comfortable doing so, please include your address in the comments section below, particularly if you live in Sugar House. Thank you!
Mark and Susie
p.s. Please support the local businesses that have found new homes after their eviction from the Granite Block. The 10/25/07 edition of City Weekly has an article entitled \"Sweet Retreat: Exiled Sugar House businesses strive to survive\" that includes the relocation information for the businesses. Some are still in Sugar House while some have moved to other parts of town.