Utah's Most Wasteful Pork Project is in Downtown SLC

Yep. It's the eventually-named Orrin G Hatch Expansion to the Frank E Moss Federal Courthouse.

The Damages?

And now, nearly a year later, Port O' Call has been torn down and the lot is standing idle waiting for federal money to build it.

Documents obtained by ABC 4 show that so far, the government has sunk more than 40 million dollars into the project.

And it's now seeking 211 million more.

But wait there's more.

Because Port O' Call is now out of business, that means the city, county and state no longer get its considerable tax money.

Port O' Call's owner tells ABC 4 that his business used to pay more than $300,000 in annual local taxes - money that is sorely needed in these tough times.

And that doesn't take into account the taxes the employees paid, nor the revenue from the monies they continued to cycle through the Utah economy.

-Bob

RIP Sam Weller

Sam Weller's is the coolest place downtown. He built a legacy.

Tribune:

Sam Weller, the venerable Salt Lake City bookseller, whose business thrived for more than 80 years despite threats from downtown redevelopment, a devastating fire and encroachment from national bookstore chains, died Tuesday. He was 88.

Weller was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States when he was just a child. His father, Gus, founded the Zion Bookstore in 1921. Weller took over the business when he was just 24, later changing the name to Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore. The store has been located at 254 South Main Street since 1961.

Family and friends say the business survived thanks to Weller's passion and foresight. He expanded the store's selection of nonfiction books about the West, and built one of the largest selections of used books west of the Mississippi.

The Taco Stand Bathroom

SLTrib:

Salt Lake City is asking taco carts to dish up more than carne asada and barbacoa. The sidewalk chefs now must deliver restroom access, cleaner paths and smaller canopies, according to a city ordinance passed unanimously by the City Council on Tuesday night.

[...]

Under the new ordinance, street vendors now must snag a signed agreement with a neighboring business to allow cart operators to use restrooms during all hours the vendors are open. And stands south of 600 South - where more customers typically drive in rather than walk up - would have to arrange with surrounding property owners for parking - if the city transportation engineer so orders. Sidewalks where they operate have to be cleaned at least twice a month.

Bathrooms. Really? Does this mean that the Rite Aid on Main Street between South Temple and 100 South has to provide a bathroom as well? How about parking?

Is this really a problem?

"Our business neighborhood is becoming a blighted area," Mike Holt, general manager of Western Wholesale Flooring, 823 S. Main St., told the City Council on Tuesday. He said customers of the nearby taco stand have been seen urinating in the store's parking lot.

I'm pretty sure that this problem has already been solved. The city already has a urinating-in-public ordinance.

One of the best things SLC has going for it is the taco stands, especially the ones that don't sell tacos. It sounds like they are going to make an effort to drive them out of business....

-Bob

Downtown Rising: The Skybridge

There has been much talk about the skybridge at the City Creek Center development. Those that are fot it are strongly for it. Those that are against it are over-my-dead-body against it.

I'm in favor of it.

Other than the people mover part. That's just stupid.

But, the rest of the skybridge I like. It will enable the users of City Creek Center the ability to easily get from store to store.

Which is the idea of a mall, isn't it? To get people from store A to store B in an easy fashion.

To hear the detractors talk, there's not going to be shops on the first floor.

We already have an example of how successful skybridges are in downtown Salt Lake City:



That's right, the Gateway. Somehow, the shops on the first floor of the Gateway seem to do just fine.

For those of you who chalk up the need for a City Creek skybridge to laziness, I issue a challenge:

Start at the Starbucks in Gateway. From there, go to Gymboree without using a skybridge. That means walking downstairs, crossing Rio Grande Street, and going back up the stairs. Now proceed for Gymboree to Fanzz. No streets to cross, so we move on. But, you're in want of a Bizzard from DQ. So, head back downstairs, cross 100 South, and walk back upstairs. Enjoy your Blizzard. After your Blizzard, head to a movie. Go downstairs, cross Rio Grande again, and head back upstairs. Congratulations, you're done.

Now tell me, was that better than using the pesky sky bridges?

Oh, and from most of main street, you can't see Ensign Peak anyway. You have trees, buildings, and (occasionally) pollution in your way.

Lastly, for those that fear the skybridge will pull currently-nonexistant pedestrians off of Main, I leave you with the thing that will keep them there: