The former Sizzler property at 1300 E 2100 S in Sugar House looks like an abandoned lot. In reality, since the restaurant’s closure in 2020, it has been mired in debates, stalled plans and resident disputes. Change is on the horizon, however, with new interest and investment throughout the community — from the property owner, residents, businesses and councils. 

Critical Details

Salt Lake City recently updated zoning for many commercial properties. The old Sizzler site, formerly CB (Community Business), is now MU-3 (Mixed Use, allowing three-story buildings). Nearby zones include MU-2 (such as the Dodo), MU-3 (a KFC/A&W), MU-6 (a CVS), and MU-11 (properties west of 1300 S).

The prospective developer for the site is requesting a change from the new MU-3 to MU-8 that would allow them to build up to eight stories of commercial space.

The land owner, Romney Farr Properties, Inc., is not interested in selling the land to the city, county, park or any other business. Maverick currently holds the lease, but their gas station was denied because of a contamination risk to the flood overflow area in the park. 

Magnus Hotel Management proposes an eight-story hotel with restaurants, event rooms for rent, cafe and coffee shop, and public parking. Though a tall order compared to the old one-story Sizzler or current MU-3 zoning, current adjacent buildings already reach six to eight stories, and  the new MU-11 zoning allows up to eleven.

What People Have to Say

John Potter, head of the project and Chief Executive Officer of Magnus, described their goal to bridge the park and the commercial center. “We want to be the connection,” he said. “The challenge was building with no back-side, because we want the design to bridge the city and the park.”

As the rest of Sugar House continues to grow and expand; this property will most likely not be far behind. But what do residents think?

Lynne Olson has lived in the Sugar House area for 50 years, served on the Sugar House Community Council, and taught local civics classes to elementary schools. “It’s a violation of the aesthetic of Sugar House Park,” she said. “They wanted it to be a relaxing, quiet and beautiful place. An eight-story building and hundreds of cars is a violation of what the park was intended to be.”

Cindy Cromer, a former planning commissioner and self-proclaimed “addict to land use” is one of the few people left that worked on the Open Space Master plan for Salt Lake City. “You don’t see things that are eight stories tall,” she said. “There’s nowhere for development like this to go without compromising the park space, school space, or single-family residential. There’s no place for this to go without exacerbating traffic.”

Judi Short, a trustee on the Sugar House Community Council, and a former Planning Commissioner, said, “This intersection is the worst in the city. The neighborhood sees all sorts of cars just going through trying to beat the traffic on the streets.”

The Sugar House Park Authority — the junction between the co-owners of the park, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County — submitted a letter to the Planning Commission that said, “The Board of Trustees has not taken a formal position on the applications for a zoning map amendment.” However, every member submitted their personal opinion, with some opposing the development and others for it.

Roxanne Christensen, a member of the Sugar House Park Authority, said, “Any increase in use and maintenance and enforcement is an increase on the Park. That park is so busy.” Though this is her personal opinion, she also shared that the Salt Lake County Park staff is also concerned about increased demand on time and resources. 

She wanted to be clear that she isn’t against improving the vacant lot. “This isn’t anti-development,” she said. “A good planning principle is to tier down. [It doesn’t make sense] for that structure to be next to a place that will never grow tall.”

Developers are often perceived as profit-driven and blind to community concerns. Magnus CEO Potter lives only a few miles from the property and agrees with a lot of the complaints. “Salt Lake City has a shortage of local connected-feeling hotels.” He says if it were a business building or an apartment complex, that it would cease to be a community amenity. The hotel and its event rooms and restaurants would provide a way for everyone to enjoy the space. “Come and enjoy the view whenever you want,” he said. “Hot cocoa after sledding, or a coffee during your walk through the park.”

Magnus facilitated a traffic study through a third party engineering firm, Hales Engineering. At peak hours, there would be a 2.7% increase. “When traffic is bad, one more car is bad,” Potter said. “I’m not selling that as a positive.” However, whatever the corner property ends up holding, there will be an increase in traffic. A hotel may have a smaller increase than shops or restaurants, especially during peak hours.

“I appreciate the feedback from the community,” Potter reiterated. “The project is better; I’m better as a developer.”

What’s Next?

The proposed zoning change will go to the Planning Commission sometime in the next few weeks, and pending approval, will then go to the Salt Lake City Council.

After years of sitting vacant, the Sizzler property is poised for change. The coming months will reveal whether the plans satisfy both developers and the Sugar House community.

*The Planning Commission gave a recommendation for approval on October 22, 2025. However, the project is not final, as it must go to the Salt Lake City Council for a final decision.

Feature Image: Aerial view of the former Sizzler site, now a vacant lot, with Sugar House Park in the background-highlighting the scenic corridor that could be impacted by future development. Photos by Braden Latimer.