SALT LAKE CITY — On Easter Sunday last year, the historic Fifth Ward Meetinghouse was partially demolished by the owner without permits to do so. City staff arrived to stop it, saying the owner, 300 W Holdings, a company managed by real estate developer Jordan Atkin, didn’t have the necessary permits.
FOX 13 News viewers want to know what is happening with this former church building now.
Public records show the deed was transferred on July 26 to Salt of the Earth, a nonprofit operated by Skyler Baird. The organization was formed in hopes of returning the landmark to its former glory.
“We came in to try to rescue the building, rebuild it back to its 1910 state and turn it into housing for people coming out of addiction recovery programs to help them have a little bit more chance of success,” Baird said. And that's where we are right now.”
The building, located at 740 S. 300 West, has had many lives. It was designated as a historical site in 1978.
“It's got a rich, rich history,” Baird explained. “It started out as an LDS Ward building, moved on to a rock venue, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Nirvana have all played inside this building when they were much smaller. And over time, you know, it became a Buddhist temple.”
But before any construction can happen, Baird says there are a few obstacles still in the way.
“Once we get building approval, within six months, you'll see these stairs finished, and then probably another six months after that, the internals,” Baird said. “So once the building is fully approved, I think a year after that, we'll have people inside.”
It took the city three weeks to complete the initial review of the building. The next step is for Baird to revise the plans to ensure they comply with city code, then resubmit them. Baird also says the property has accrued about $60,000 in fines, but he also says the city isn’t enforcing them yet.
“Since this building is in the Granary District, we feel it's important to preserve the history of it," said Josh Schuerman, a board member of the Granary District Alliance. “There's not a lot of buildings like this unique in this scope. A lot of our buildings only go back four generations. This is one of those buildings, and it was basically an anchor for this community.”
Efforts to keep the meetinghouse intact mean saving as many bricks as possible for the rebuild, doing surrounding cleanups, and raising money for construction.
“It's just had this whole lifespan of a building that I really feel has a rich story and a rich history,” Baird said.
