South Salt Lake City plans sale of public park

(SOUTH SALT LAKE JOURNAL) -- South Salt Lake City officials have been in negotiations to sell Workman Park, at 2350 South 910 West near the Jordan River walkway, to the Utah Transit Authority.

“Our possible interest in buying the Workman ball field is to expand, potentially someday expand the Jordan River Service Center,” said Utah Transit Authority Director of Real Estate Steve Hansen.

UTA already owns the former Meier and Frank warehouse facility located to the north of the park at 2264 South 900 West. The warehouse has been converted for use as the Jordan River Service Center, which is currently being used by UTA as a light rail maintenance facility.

Hansen said UTA would need additional space for maintenance operations. The purchase of Workman Park, which lies south of the existing maintenance facility, would allow for the expansion.

But residents have expressed concerns over the sale because of the loss of green space and recreation area in a neighborhood that is already primarily industrial.

In a council meeting held June 3, South Salt Lake City Councilmember Boyd Marshall said he had been contacted by residents worried that they wouldn’t have use of the park through the end of the summer. Neighbors have been using the park as a community baseball field; a sale of the park could mean the interruption of the baseball season of games held there.

Both Marshall and South Salt Lake City Mayor Bob Gray said they would like to see the baseball season finish at the park or a contingency plan created if the sale does occur.

The sale of the park could also create future right-of-way issues for the development of a pedestrian trail, proposed by nonprofit PRATT Coalition that would run along the border of the park from the east out the west where it would connect with the Jordan River Parkway.

City officials would not confirm a timeline for the possible sale of the park. South Salt Lake City Assistant Mayor Cherie Wood said that although the offer had been made by UTA to the city, the city had not yet accepted any proposals nor made any offers.

“We have no set date for sale; we don’t even know that the sale is for sure,” Wood said.

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