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Show Civic Leader Urges Reservation of Entire Prison Property for Public Projects Dr. George R. Hill, prominent rivic arid church leader, has ad-clrcssfd ad-clrcssfd a communication to 'Gov. Herbert B. Maw. Mayor Earl J. Olade and other public officials, urging that the entire site now occupied by the prison be developed devel-oped into a great public project to serve the city iand state "through centuries to come," and that none of it be released to private pri-vate or commercial use. The full text of his letter follows: fol-lows: This letter has to do with tho conservation and utilization of our state resources, and particularly par-ticularly to one of them the present state prison site of about 160 acres lying between 21st South and Parkway Ave., and between 13th E. and 17th E. in Salt Lake City. It is our belief that Utah, situated situ-ated as it is in the heart of scenic America, can be made the vacation vaca-tion spot for "America On Wheels" if we but provide- the facilities to bring that about. It grieves me very much to realize that we have to "soft peddle" the publicity on our centennial celebration to hold back the crowds of people wbo would come if we had any place to take aare of them. That cannot be remedied at this late date, but it Is our judgment that crowds equal to those that would be attracted at-tracted by our centennial celebration cele-bration could be attracted to our state annually, if there were adequate facilities to care for them and restful and pleasurable things to do when they come. We stand to gain a revenue of a possible 100 million dollars a year if we plan for and can take care of the crowd of vacationists vacation-ists that can be attracted here. If facilities are adequate, the thousands thou-sands of automobile loads of people peo-ple that can be attracted to Salt Lake City each day would bring other thousands if their vacations vaca-tions were sufficiently pleasurable- Moreover these pleased vacationists va-cationists would kfep coming back, each year, much as many now do to Yellowstone Park and others of our western playgrounds. play-grounds. Salt Lake City is idealy situated situ-ated as the headquarters for such vacation trips, from which to make side trips trips to Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Cedar Breaks, the Wayne Wonderland, Won-derland, Fish Lake, the Grand Daddies, Bear Lake, Yellowstone Yellow-stone Park trips to canyons innumerable in-numerable and much closer, to which they could go and return ! to Salt Lake City the same dav. We have Great Salt Lake at our doors, that we are capitalizing capitaliz-ing on very little, but which if facilities are properly developed could be made to hold vacation-' ists days longer in Utah and Salt Lake City. Our canyon retreats are marvelous. They are restful rest-ful and easily could be the means of causing vacationists to return to Utah, particularly if each stream and lake were kept filled with fish by continuous planting. Alta and many o hrr high mountain areas furnish an unparalleled un-paralleled opportunity for winter win-ter sports. These at Alta extend ex-tend throughout the spring an ideal opportunity to attract win- ter ana spring vacauuniMis. Salt Lake City has many unique attractions. These shou'd increase In number as the years go by not decrease or stand still. The state of Utah and Salt Lake City could utilize all of the space of the 160 acres m the ' present state prison sit" to develop de-velop over a period of years unique uni-que and .attractive features that not only would be very desirable desir-able from the standpoint of our own citizens, but would be the means of holding these vacationists vacation-ists here for days, in addition. Each added day that an automobile automo-bile load of people remains in Salt Lake City or in Utah means another S10 to S100 of revenue. What an asset to San Francisco See LETTER on Page 4 Letter (Continued from Page One) is Golden Gate Park with its annual an-nual rhododendrons and other unique plantings with its art galleries, aquariums, museums, and shaded band concert retreats! re-treats! I cm not advocating that the prison site be converted into a giant motel to take care of tourists. tour-ists. These will develop at various vari-ous places naturally. Why not convert it into a state park, or a joint state and city park in which these unique features could be built from time to time to add to the state's ability to attract and to serve its citizens and visitors. This is the largest single area in the heart of the city we now have. It is on thp Lincoln Highway the crossroad cross-road of western travel. Why not keep it? Why not make it bid travelers to "stop, look, and listen"? lis-ten"? Why sell it for private gain? The paltry $100,000 or so that it or a part of it might bring is mere bagtelle compared to the public use to which it could be put a unique heritage lasting throughout the centuries. Why shouldn't facilities be developed de-veloped there to accommodate the Olympic games? Why shouldn't such facilities be used to attract athletes and spectators frequently? What a site for an international scout jamboree At the rate Salt Lake City is growing, that will be the heart of the city in a few years. A inw high school will need to b3 presided. pre-sided. Why couldn't this high school be planned with the idea of utilizing it and its facilities and playgrounds to foster summer sum-mer tournaments, conventions, and pleasurable attractions for vacationists? Why should not a state museum be built there, iarge enough to accommodate the fast-disappearing relics that people are, going to travel long distances to see as they become more rare? The story of the trek of the pioneers . could wall be told in such museum displays. Why should we not look to the building of a large colosseum there large enough to handle any national convention that could be handled by any otlvr city in the country? With proper prop-er facilities, Salt Lake City cou'd become known as the convention city of the nation. To think of selling such an area within our city, so badly needed to serve the citv and state through the centuries, b3-cause b3-cause of pressure groups I hat would desire to make profit from the building of homes or stores or anything e'sj, is unthinkable un-thinkable to me. It looks like "selling one's Dirthr'ght for a mess of pottage." If Salt Lake" City and th state of Utah would undertake jointly a plan of so developing that site all of it that 25 or 50 yen's from now, it would be a unique and attractive "mecca" for peo ple from all over the country, and then if hotels and motels and tourists camps, etc., throughout through-out the state could be stimulated to develop adequate housing facilities fa-cilities for these people, we might not Only realize a great benefit and enjoyment ourselves, but through the wise development develop-ment of this 'natural resource, an important contribution to an income greater than from any other single incoma in the state of Utah, and it would be a permanent per-manent income. This is so in keeping with the announced policies of both of Q you gontienun, that I am sure Your Excellencies would welcome wel-come the publicity that I am going go-ing to try to give this a'ppeal by sending it to representative citizens that state over and to the newspapers and other publications pub-lications of the state. Most humbly yours, GEO. R. HILL. |