City Offers Grants to Evicted Shops in Sugar House

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Half a dozen local merchants on the "Granite Block" in Sugar House will soon be evicted to make room for new development. In an effort to keep those businesses in Sugar House, the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency will offer a handful of small matching grants to help with the costs of painting and remodeling in their new locations:

"It's one of a lot of tools that we're considering, but I think it's just a drop in the bucket," says Simonsen. "You know it's only 100,000 and the potential impact to all of these businesses in the Granite Block will be maybe three to five million dollars. So it's a small, but important step."

Councilman Soren Simonsen hopes the city will ultimately adopt zoning that will prevent national chains and big box stores from taking over business districts like Sugar House and 9th and 9th. The relocation grants will range from $3,000 to $15,000 and require a matching amount from the business owner. In most cases, it also requires the business owner to purchase the new location. Simonsen says that's a goal for several of the soon-to-be evicted shops on the southwest corner of 21st South and Highland Drive:

"Obviously the impacts they're going through right now. . . I think many of them recognize that had they owned their own property, then they would be able to have more control over their predictable future."

The Salt Lake City Council is also considering offering revolving loans to displaced locally-owned businesses that lack the resources of a national chain.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW