Salt Lake City breaks ground on Pioneer Park revamp

State of play: The overhaul includes a pavilion, restrooms, a ranger office, a playground, a promenade, a mist fountain plaza, six pickleball courts, a basketball court, a fenced dog park and more trees.

• The project is expected to begin next month and last through late 2026.

Catch up quick: Latter-day Saint pioneers settled the site where the park now sits in 1847 as a fort.

• "This block has undergone change after change. It's almost been sold more times than we can count," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall noted during the groundbreaking.
• The area once held temporary cabins for early settlers, a Wallace Brothers Circus, a baseball field and a girls swimming pool, among other uses, she said.
• Mendenhall said previous mayors floated proposals to turn the green space into sports stadiums or Olympic venues, but those plans never came to fruition.

What they're saying: "I think it's going to be a ... breath of fresh air" that will bring more activity to the park, former downtown Salt Lake City Council Member Ana Valdemoros, who advocated for the improvements during her term between 2020 and 2024, told Axios.

• She launched her empanada business, Argentina's Best Empanadas, at the farmers market in 2007, where she continues to sell as a vendor.

The farmers market will continue operating throughout construction, with the northern half of the park remaining closed until the project's completion.