SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s capital will host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2034, and it looks like a “green cycle” could be ready by the time the world’s population arrives in a decade.
The cost of completing this project is estimated at $250 million to $350 million, and it would likely have to be completed in phases over the next decade, according to a new city update. However, city officials and consultants believe the city could get help with the project.
“This is a very large undertaking and from a block-by-block perspective, it’s going to bring its own unique challenges,” Jesse Dean, the city’s senior adviser for real estate and capital projects, said Tuesday in an update on the project. “I think we’re taking that into account from a financing and operational perspective.”
The parking loop would run along North Temple/South Temple from 200 East to 500 West and along 200 East and 500 West from North Temple/South Temple to 900 South.
City leaders say this would improve the lack of green space downtown. Salt Lake City Public Lands found in 2019 that downtown Salt Lake City has one of the worst green space rates per 1,000 residents. Green space only makes up about 2% of the land area, while 6% of the area is covered by trees. These factors also play a role in urban heat island and stormwater management.
Since then, nearly 4,000 apartments have opened in the city center, and that number is expected to worsen as the area becomes more residential over the next decade.
“There is no land available in either the private or public sectors other than our streets,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, adding that the 5.5-mile “linear park” would add about 60 acres of green space.
Efforts to make the project a reality began last year. Salt Lake City tested the concept by building a temporary park in the middle of 200 East, which led to more than 1,000 submissions to a survey designed to provide a snapshot of what the Loop might look like once completed.
The project has been moving forward behind the scenes ever since. The city hired Wenk Associates, which helped plan the project. Nicole Horst, principal partner at the firm, said the group met with various agencies to integrate public utility and emergency needs into the city’s vision.
Turning a vision into reality
Salt Lake City recently completed an extension of the 9-Line Trail, which serves as the southern boundary of the loop. It seems that the city has a tendency to break other construction projects into sections.
According to a July 30 draft city document, the project could potentially be completed in multiple phases between 2025 and 2033. If the city follows that timeline, a small section on the eastern edge of Temple Square would be the first project to begin next year. Crews would then focus on a section of 500 West in 2026 before turning to 200 East from South Temple to 500 South in 2027.
Most of the planning so far has focused on a section of 200 East that is expected to cost $85 million to $90 million. Kristin Riker, director of Salt Lake City Public Lands, said there is also the possibility of incorporating the Green Loop into major transportation changes planned for the city’s Granary District.
This, she said, would allow the city to focus on areas where new housing has already been created, while also targeting an area “that is close to being developed.” Other gaps would be filled later.
City officials say they are still figuring out how to finance it all. The draft plan says the city could be eligible for $15 million to $30 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act before the federal program expires. “Larger contributions” from state and private funds are possible — if not more likely.
Although it is not mentioned in the document, it is possible that it will receive Olympic funding.
Mendenhall believes the project could have wider benefits than just creating green space downtown. Wenk Associates analyzed trends in U.S. cities that already have similar green spaces.
It found that pedestrians and cyclists spend “as much or more” money at local businesses than drivers, Horst said, adding that Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway attracts about 1.7 million visitors, while users of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail spend $3.56 million annually.
“It’s not just about green spaces, it’s also about tourism and creating quality of life in places by having active spaces,” she said.
Possible concerns
Salt Lake City Council members appear cautiously optimistic about the plan. City Council President Victoria Petro called the concept “mind-blowing” but shared her colleagues’ concerns at Tuesday’s meeting.
Council members Sarah Young and Darin Mano both addressed the impact of construction. Young pointed to ongoing construction issues in her Sugar House district after several transportation projects were consolidated. Businesses on 900 South have also recently struggled with construction, Mano said.
Both want to learn lessons from the projects that will be incorporated into the plans for the sectional expansion of the Green Loop.
“We are going through some tough times right now, especially for our businesses,” Young said.
Potential concerns about the intersections at 500 South and 600 South, two state-managed roads with high traffic volumes as drivers enter and exit I-15 merge onto I-15, were also raised. It is also unclear what maintenance and upkeep will look like once completed.
Dean said these and funding options will be explored over the next few weeks and months as the project takes shape, with the ultimate goal being to get everything in place so the loop becomes a reality by the 2034 Winter Olympics.
