As I stood on the closed (for construction) sidewalk in Sugar House looking at the Art for Hope exhibit on the former Deseret Industries Building, I saw different interpretations of hope, encouragement, peace, and unity. Encouragement from “We Will Grow From This,” by Ann Chen; Colleen Marshall’s “Caped Healthcare Worker,” recognizing our healthcare workers as superheroes … [Read more...]
Sugar House to Become More Congested in 2021: Two New Sugar House Apartment Complexes Bring 400 Additional Apartments
Despite COVID, two Sugar House residential development projects are nearing completion, bringing 400 new apartments to the neighborhood in the new year. Dixon Place, developed by Lowe Property Group, is a 59-unit, mixed-use building located at the corner of Elm and McClelland streets in Sugar House. The one- and two-bedroom apartments will range from $1,500 to $2,000 a … [Read more...]
What are those Take-a-Book Leave-a-Book Boxes You’ve been seeing in Sugar House all about?
In our wonderful, whimsical, walkable Sugar House, among my favorite things to discover are the take-a-book leave-a-book boxes known as Little Free Libraries. These are small, sidewalk adjacent book houses eagerly waiting to share their contents with a passerby. They may be simple or elaborate, small or roomy, no-nonsense or fanciful. They may reflect the personality of their … [Read more...]
Is this city project going to obliterate Sugar House businesses?
When Sugar House area business owners were informed that Highland Drive would close north of 2100 South this fall for a long-awaited curb and gutter project, the community uttered a collective “not now.” “If the whole street was closed, it would be worse than COVID,” said Pam Tedersen, owner of the Central Book Exchange. The project has been on Salt Lake City’s to-do list … [Read more...]
Hobbitville Update – Sugar House’s Allen Park Begins Restoration of Buildings and Land
Salt Lake City Public Lands Division has officially purchased the once-mystical property (aka Hobbitville Allen Park). Their goal is to set aside the area as open space and an additional riparian corridor for the public to access. Currently, Public Lands is in the process of opening it to the public as soon as possible. There are a number of committees working on various parts … [Read more...]
Sugar House Can’t Be Beet
"That is the biggest radish I ever saw!" exclaimed a Sprague Branch Library patron recently. It is just one of many misconceptions about the homely sugar beet, the most recognizable symbol of Sugar House. The four bronze sculptures set in front of the library and at each end of Hidden Hollow look nothing like the red table beets most of us are familiar with. The knobby sugar … [Read more...]
Allen Park in Sugar House is Saved From Development
Allen Park is a tiny hidden gem in Sugar House. Hidden on purpose, because the residents wished that nobody would ever find it. Anyone under the age of forty has probably never seen it nor toured the place, as it was intentionally overgrown and out of sight. The last time we went to Allen Park, about five years ago, we were chased out. One resident told us in a very unfriendly … [Read more...]
Sugar House’s Allen Park to Be Developed
Magical Places in Salt Lake City Growing up in a Salt Lake City suburb, I heard older kids speak about places in the city that kept an imaginative young girl convinced that I lived in a magical place where legends were true and remarkable things might happen. Gravity Hill, Gilgal Gardens, and “Hobbitville” were spoken about in reverent tones and with excitement about whether … [Read more...]
A Tale of Two Prisons: Construction of a modernized state penitentiary is underway almost 70 years after the closure of Utah’s first state prison in Sugar House
Nearly 70 years ago, Utah’s first state prison closed its doors and was transformed into the much-loved Sugar House Park. Construction is now underway on a new penitentiary that is 15 miles away but vastly different from its predecessors. The Utah Territorial Prison opened in 1855 with 16 cells on 80 acres selected by Brigham Young. The original facility was built of brick … [Read more...]
Chains Not Interested in Sugar House Decorations
For decades, the Sugar House Chamber of Commerce paid the cost of setting up the iconic Santa House on the Monument Plaza at Christmastime and decorating it with lights and garlands of greenery. Now, the Chamber's membership has dwindled to less than half, and its income is insufficient to support large public events such as Santa's arrival or the expense of holiday … [Read more...]