West Valley City approves redevelopment of Redwood Road Drive-In

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — It’s the end of an era, the Drive-in and Swap meet at Redwood Road has been approved for redevelopment.

West Valley City approved redevelopment for the Redwood Road Drive-In Theatre and Swap Meet Tuesday night. It’s unclear how much longer it will stay open as a drive-in.

The Redwood Road Swap Meet vendors

Change will not be easy for the hundreds of vendors at the Swap Meet. They say this is about the community and their financial future.

Cristian Gutierrez Carbajal is a vendor and one of the organizers who was trying to save the swap meet. He’s a small business owner who credits the swap meet with giving him the chance to open a brick and mortar shop.

“The amount that you have to pay is just a ridiculous amount for small businesses,” Guiterrez Carbajal said. “So the swap meet’s the perfect place to just start off.”

Gutierrez Carbajal spoke with KSL NewsRadio at the Swap Meet Wednesday afternoon, after the council voted the night before to redevelop the land. That ruling opens the door for the owners of land the swap meet operates on to sell to a housing developer.

“We wanted an opportunity to be a buyer for us to present a business plan development plan with West Valley City Council so that the swap meet could stay and we could develop West Valley City into something for the future,” he said.

The vendors also got the backing from Utah Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla. She signed a letter, along with a couple of other senators, asking West Valley to consider the Latino community and the swap meet in their plans. She says she wanted the council to consider all the small businesses that had developed from the Swap Meet and the rich, unique history of the area.

Related: Community rallies around Redwood Drive-In Theater

The city council meeting

West Valley City Council and Mayor weren’t available for comment Wednesday. But Tuesday night at the council meeting, some members expressed that they felt like their hands were tied.

“We can’t force them to continue the swap meet,” Councilmember Lars Nordfelt said. “A lot of you have asked us to save the swap meet, but it’s not within our opportunity to do that. If we voted no, that doesn’t save the swap meet.”

He said it’s the landowner who decides whether or not to save the swap meet. Something that Riverdale City Administrator Steve Brooks agrees with. Riverdale’s beloved Motor Vu Drive-In Theatre & Swap Meet closed in 2022, and was leveled in May.

“It’s not like a city can come in and just say no,” Brooks said. “We’re not going to let you do that. This is land that is held between one or more individuals and if they meet our standards as a city we can’t stop those things.”

The future of the swap meet

The vendors at the swap meet want everyone to know that they will still be out there for the next 6 months to a year. Gutierrez Carbajal said that timeline isn’t entirely clear. He said they’re looking for land elsewhere so they can continue with the swap meet.

“In my perspective the people are the spot,” Gutierrez Carbajal said. “No matter where we go, as long as we stay together. I believe we will be able to build it back up and build it back to what it was”

As for the future of the land in West Valley City, a statement from developer EdgeHomes says they’re working closely with West Valley City to develop a community that meets the needs of the residents that live there. They said they plan on single and multi-family homes. EdgeHomes also said they are “committed to finding innovative solutions for housing affordability.”

Related: West Valley Performing Arts Center’s ticket sales increase after nearly facing closure