The best way to make a park safe is for you to use the park regularly.  If numerous people consistently use the park the drug dealers and alcoholics will go elsewhere.  Visit Pioneer Park during your lunch hour or spend some time in the early evening.  We suggest in current conditions that you go with another person.  Homeless people are not dangerous because they are homeless.  People whom are intoxicated. mentally unstable, or using illegal drugs may be dangerous.  Most will not approach you if you are with a group.  If you are threatened in any way, please call the police at 799-3000 or 911. 

If you want Pioneer Park to change, call your council member at 535-7600 or write them with your suggestions.  Pioneer Park is located in District 4.

District I: Carlton Christensen

Distict II: Van Turner

District III: Eric Jergensen

District IV: Luke Garrott

District V: Jill Remington Love

District VI: JT Martin

District VII: Søren Simonsen

You may call 535-6333 or contact your Community Affairs Liaison .  The Mayor's Office along with the department of Public Services have worked together with the community and local business owners to design a three phase plan to improve and increase public usage of Pioneer Park.  Please visit the Revitalization Plan page to view these proposed changes.

Email your comments to Nikki at nikki.bown@slcgov.com.  Please include your name, phone number, and whether you live in Salt Lake City proper.  Only your first name will be posted with your comments.

The fine print

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Update on Construction

Construction bids for Stage 1 improvements closed on June 20th.  The bids are being evaluated now.  If the bids come in at the budget for the project then construction will st art in late October, once the Farmers Market season ends.  All improvements will be completed before the st art of the 2008 Market in June, 2008.  

Stage 1 has a budget of $1.4 million.  The project scope was constrained to fit the budget.  Three development stages are planned for the park.  The City Administration and many in the community support the entire 3 stage scope of work which will dramatically change the character of the park.  The change needs to be dramatic in order to change the current user behavior and to change the perception that the park can't be "fixed" and made safe.  An incremental approach for change, which the City Council is taking, delay's the park renovation, costs more money and may not allow for the use transformation to occur.  

The Council has not committed to funding any future stages of work, so the park may be done after just one round of funding.  Instead, the Council has chosen to spend some money revising the 3 Stage plan into one additional stage that would include only those design elements that the Council feels need to be included.  This approach will end with something left undone.  It will fix the park up a bit, but it will probably fail to create the real change that is needed.  

We continue to work with a small group of citizens and property owners who believe in the park, but the group's capacity to raise private funds is limited.  Bonding for the improvements was not supported and the CIP is loaded with competing projects.  Even with the challenges we are not giving up hope, nor are we allowing the small fire of support to burn out.