PG looks to taxpayers to revive downtown

PLEASANT GROVE (Daily Herald) -- Pleasant Grove is either embarking on an ambitious new plan to reinvent its historic downtown -- at taxpayer expense -- or yet another years-long "feel good" exercise in wasting time.

Even the council doesn't seem sure which.

Elected officials here on Tuesday began a two-day marathon of meetings to hear proposals from design firms on how the city can restore downtown to its former glory -- that is, make it a place where people want to shop again.

"Does this turn into another R/UDAT?" said Councilman Lee Jensen at the end of two hours of presentations about how the city can spend millions to build a new downtown "civic center" in an attempt to revive interest in the area.

"R/UDAT was very helpful, but foundational," said Mayor Bruce Call.

"It was feel-good," said Councilwoman Cindy Boyd. "It was feel-good."

This R/UDAT has a history. In June 2005, Pleasant Grove business owners, city staffers and City Council members spent a day attempting to convince volunteers from a prestigious national association of architects to orchestrate plans for a citywide makeover of sorts.

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