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Show Sugar House redevelopment leaves few stores remaining As demolition approaches, local businesses are relocating or closing permanently Emily Bennion Staff Writer Our project does not include the removal of any tenants or buildings, Red Mountains Director of Entitlements Eric A. Nelson said. Rather, the current tenants ... are either moving or going out of business 99 percent of the buildings. It is and we are important for us that we do what we can to help and protect the environment and one way is to not demolish buildings just to build new ones. In other words, we are approaching this project with an eye for green construction and preservation. We are also very supportive of the smaller, locally owned retailers and are making space for them in the redevelopment of the portions of the block that we own. Mere months ago, the corner of 2100 South and Highland Drive was a bustling business community. The stores were as varied and eclectic as the people who frequented them and were popular among Westminster students. Now, as the deadline imposed by developers Craig Mecham and the Red Mountain Retail Group nears, the historic Granite Furniture block lies mostly empty, its storefronts boarded up. Few of the original businesses including Living Cuisine and Sugar House Coffee remain open at this time while renovations are being completed on their new locations. re-usi- "Our project does not include the removal of any tenants or buildings," "It saddens me, because this area of Sugar House has a lot of history to it, a lot of personality," Eric A. Nelson Director of Entitlements Red Mountain Retail Group The plans for redevelopment, unveiled on Sept. 5, mixed-us- e call for the creation of a complex office Mechams residential and retail, combining space. will half the the of north block, demoldevelop company ishing the existing structures this autumn to make way Red Mountain, which for the brick and glass high-rise- s. is based in Santa Ana, Calif., has tentatively named its side of the project The Village at Sugar House and plans to refurbish the current buildings, including the Granite Furniture showroom, rather than tearing them down. six-stor- ng Amanda Bust Manager Living Cuisine Despite these reassurances, local residents and business owners are wary. They have long been against any large-sca- le redevelopment of Sugar House, fearing that large corporations would force out small businesses and charm that has defined the neightaint the small-tow- n borhood since its establishment in 1853. City Councilmoratoman Soren Simonsen proposed a rium on demolition to investigate a means of preserving ey, six-mon- alive despite the impending th Continued on page 8 redevelopment. Utah's water and air: elements of concern Water and air quality murky at best Alexandra J amison Wesleyjarman Staff Writers dan River warned people and their pets not to enter the water due to a chemical spill. The chemical was acid, which is used in the process of fluoridathydro-fluosilic- Jumping into a favorite swimming hole on a hot summer day can make or break the heat, but Dan Grover of Bountiful, Utah, wasnt jumping anywhere near the cool waters of Parleys Creek this summer and neither was Thumper, his ten-year-- old Ridge-backLabrad- or. "If she Grover's dog Thumper wasn't able to go in it, I didn't want to chance it." Dan Grover The signs posted around Tanner Park, Parleys Historic Nature Park, Sugar House Park and even the Jor ing water. The chemical was spilled into Parleys Creek on Aug. 31, essentially closing all recreational use of the streams that feed off of Parleys Creek. hiker and outdoorsman, takes Grover, a long-tim- e Thumper for walks through Tanner Park and into Parleys Historic Nature Park almost every other weekend. He explained that Thumper loves to play in the water, but If she wasnt able to go in it, I didnt want to chance it. That is what Grover said the evening of Sept. 9, almost two full weeks after the stream had been deemed safe for use. But even after the cleanup of the spill, Grover wont go in the water and its not because of the acid scare, its because the stream continues to be polluted. Chunks of garbage, such as large pieces of plywood, beer cans, fragments of tarps and traffic cones Athletics ; Issue 3 Highlights Utah said to be the ideal place for waterfowl hunting. PageS ic f " - Campus Noise and parking concern neighbors. Page 9 one out due to water contamination. litter this section of Parley's Creek. The reason why so much debris gathers in this section is because the stream is used heavily for recreation. Beyond I Jr Photo by Wejley Jarman Dan Grover and Thumper sit this Continued on page 6 A&E Ririe Woodbury prepares to Fast Forward. Page 10 |