SLC Reveals Plan for Historic Park

The Salt Lake City Public Lands Department announced a plan to preserve and redevelop an almost-century-old park to include art studio facilities, reports Carter Williams for KSL.com. City officials say Allen Park “will remain a unique blend of ‘art and sciences in the wild’ for generations to come.”

The historic property once belonged to George Allen, who used parts of it to house a collection of exotic birds as well as to display outdoor art pieces. “The space reopened to the public as a park for the first time in the fall of 2020, months after Salt Lake City acquired the property by using $7.5 million in impact fees to spare the Sugar House property from being redeveloped,” Williams explains.

The plan calls for maintaining and improving the park’s natural areas, opening up more space for picnicking and other uses, and preserving and restoring the site’s historic buildings. According to the article, “There is already $4.5 million set aside for renovation projects tied to a parks bond residents voted for in 2022. Initial construction, which could begin as early as 2025, will likely begin with habitat improvements, art restoration projects and opening up more space for visitors.”