2024 Salt Lake City's Plans to Restore Its Japantown LegacyNEW

There are plans underway to revitalize the remaining block of Salt Lake City's historic Japantown neighborhood along 100 South between 200 West and 300 West, behind the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Here are some key details about the proposed project

• The goal is to transform this one-block area into a cultural district honoring the Japanese American community that once thrived there, before much of the original Japantown was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Salt Palace.

• Conceptual designs by GSBS Architects envision the street lined with cherry blossom trees, Japanese-inspired public art installations, widened sidewalks, distinct lighting, and spaces for cultural festivals and gatherings.

• It would aim to preserve remaining sites like the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, Japanese Church of Christ, and a small Japanese garden already on the block.

• The project emerged from years of discussions between the city, developers of a nearby project called The West Quarter, and members of Utah's Japanese American community.

• Estimated cost is around $15 million, with the Salt Lake City Council looking at potential funding sources like municipal bonds, county funds, or tying it to a future downtown stadium project to accelerate the timeline.

• The vision is to create an appealing cultural attraction celebrating the history and heritage of Salt Lake's Japantown, after the original neighborhood's demolition decades ago.

So in summary, it aims to revive and honor this forgotten ethnic enclave through public space improvements reflecting Japanese design and cultural elements on the last remaining block.