Salt Lake City nixes Sugar House Park hotel
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday rejected plans for a proposed seven-story hotel next to Sugar House Park that has sparked outcry from residents.
Why it matters: It's the latest development at the former Sizzler site to stall after failing to gain broad support in a city that prizes its open space.
Zoom in: Opponents said the 90-foot building would block the park's views of the Wasatch Mountains, increase traffic in the neighborhood and take away from the area's open feel.
State of play: The council unanimously rejected the proposal to expand the boundaries of the neighboring business district to the site, to allow for the hotel.
What they're saying: The council heeded residents' worries about "how incremental decisions today really shape the future of our community," said Sarah Young, who represents Sugar House on the council.
Flashback: Two other developments for the highly desirable site have fallen through since 2020.
- A six- to seven-story multifamily building with underground parking was proposed on the land in 2020, but was shelved after community members warned about high-density housing and traffic in the area.
- Kum & Go planned a gas station and convenience store on the land in 2023, but the city rejected it over environmental concerns.
Context: Residents have become wary of growing pains in Sugar House, where large, stop-and-go construction projects have been the norm for years.
- The nearby commercial district around 2100 South and Highland had been a hipster neighborhood with popular local shops, many of which were demolished for a planned redevelopment in 2008. Then the recession hit, and the heart of Sugar House was left empty for years — a blight known as the "Sugar Hole."
- Another project ejected popular businesses, only to later fall through. Others have been ongoing for years or delayed by legal disputes, leaving the area pocked with dusty pits.
- One apartment complex was nearly ready to open in 2022, years after the site's previous building was demolished, when a fire destroyed it, forcing another rebuild that ended last year.
Meanwhile, major road construction has strained the entire neighborhood for years.