SALT LAKE CITY -- City leaders are envisioning a downtown core with 20,000 more residents and 25 percent more workers by 2040.
To handle that, Salt Lake City planners have been creating a massive document that lays out some groundwork for downtown. The conceptual "Downtown Master Plan" focuses on the area from North Temple to 900 South and from I-15 to 200 East.
"Not only is (downtown) a regional center and a major draw to the state, but it's becoming a place where people are living and spending most of their time," said Nick Norris, a planning manager for Salt Lake City. "It's becoming an urban neighborhood."
The master plan calls for smarter housing, including buildings in certain neighborhoods with height restrictions, and more affordable housing. With Salt Lake City's famed wide roads, future design calls for more pedestrian-friendly development.
On 500 South and 600 South, the master plan calls for burying power lines and redesigning the streets to look more attractive -- including eliminating billboards.
From the proposed master plan:
"Key Moves" identified by the Downtown Master plan include a "Cultural Core," the addition of a downtown streetcar, extending the 400 South TRAX line further west, a "green loop" around the downtown area, and the creation of a new park by the Gateway Mall.
From the proposed master plan:
The Downtown Master Plan took public comment over the past few months. The plan, which was initially passed by the Salt Lake City Planning Commission, has not advanced to the City Council while business groups weigh in, said Norris.
Nick Como, a spokesman for the Downtown Alliance, said they would like to see more done for economic development, but called the plan a great framework for the city.
"Downtown should be the regional center for economic growth, for culture, for commerce," Como said. "This document will help us do that."
Salt Lake City Councilman Luke Garrett, whose district includes the downtown area, said he supported the master plan calling it a "progressive vision" for the area. Garrett said it was his hope that the plan would actually be implemented, rather than serving as guidelines.
Garrett said public comment is welcome on the Downtown Master Plan. Read more about it and comment by clicking here.
Read the draft Downtown Master Plan here:
