Equality Utah to move HQ to Harvey Milk Boulevard in 2025
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Rendering: Courtesy of Equality Utah
Utah's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization is moving from downtown to 900 S., also known as Harvey Milk Boulevard.
Why it matters: Equality Utah is set to establish a more visible presence in the deep-red state in one of Salt Lake City's most LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods.
What they're saying: "Most big cities have a gayborhood and 900 S. has certainly been a welcoming area for our community, with several LGBT-owned stores," Equality Utah director Troy Williams said about the area that will soon house Milk Block, a new mixed-use development, and the nonprofit's HQ.
Zoom in: The new HQ will be about 1,600 square feet, with office space and a rooftop deck, Milk Block developer Kathia Dang, who donated the cost of the new buildout, told Axios.
- Dang said Equality Utah approached her and her husband about a year ago after learning about the development at 416 E. 900 S.
- "We felt that in order to support this community that we wanted to build, it was important for us to show support of Equality Utah," Dang told Axios.
Dang is deeply familiar with the area. She grew up a few blocks away from the development after her family moved to Utah in the 1970s as Vietnamese refugees.
- Other future tenants in the development include the Wasatch Cooperative Market and Mozz Artisan Pizza.
Between the lines: For safety reasons, Dang said that Equality Utah's headquarters and address have not been highly visible.
- "They are very proud to be able to have signage on a building and actually give physical presence and allocate an address to their new headquarters," she said.
- The nonprofit has been situated at the Shop workspace over the past two years.
Flashback: Equality Utah worked with the city in 2016 to rename 20 blocks of 900 S. after civil rights icon Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man in California to be elected into public office.
- Since 2016, the street has welcomed a mural of Milk and the arrival of Milk+, a gay bar and restaurant.
The latest: The Salt Lake City Council recently approved funding for art installations educating the public about Milk and Salt Lake City's LGBTQ community at 900 S.
What's next: Equality Utah's new headquarters is set to open next summer.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a new rendering photo and to clarify that Equality Utah's address is not highly visible on its website.