Sugar House pausing some construction for holiday season

SALT LAKE CITY — Residents, shoppers and passersby are probably all too familiar with the construction happening around Sugar House. Although there’s more to be done, a major construction project will be paused to allow access to Sugar House businesses during the holiday season.

Salt Lake Council member Sarah Young told Dave and Dujanovic the city would pause construction on 2100 South and 1100 East until the New Year.

 

Young had heard local business owners in the area say that they’ve been struggling due to all the construction.

“That’s a huge issue when it comes to these businesses, their revenue, their ability to employ residents,” she said.

The pause, Young said, would hopefully help businesses recoup some of their losses.

Businesses were hit especially hard following last year’s massive apartment fire. Kimi Eklund, owner of Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House, told KSL TV last month that her business has dropped about 55%.

Young said the pause in construction isn’t the only way the city is trying to help businesses in Sugar House.

Grants for small businesses in Sugar House

Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development has a grant program for small businesses being impacted by construction projects, said Young. The program only applies to businesses in Salt Lake that are being affected by certain construction projects.

According to Young, the city has already awarded 217 grants to qualifying businesses.

While the grants won’t make up for all the lost business, Young said it would help, “Address some of those [businesses’] needs to help our businesses make it through this construction period.”

To get the word out about the grant program, Young said the Sugar House Community Council and Chamber of Commerce were making an effort to connect with local businesses.

Besides telling owners about the grant program and other resources, neighborhood leaders are also connecting with businesses to give them information about construction in the area.

Why all the construction?

Young said that the construction, however frustrating, is vital.

The area is growing and the city needs to update its infrastructure to keep up, she said. Infrastructure like sewer lines.

Part of the reason there’s so much construction needed is because the city wants to improve pedestrian safety.

Young said that work involves bike lanes and sidewalks

But because infrastructure, like sewer lines, can be in the middle of the street, it’s best to work on one thing at a time.

“If we were to do both at the same time, you would be shutting down the entire street, which would definitely have a greater impact than we’re even seeing today,” Young said.

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