SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency released the plans for Smith’s Ballpark after the Bees left for their new stadium.

The agency expects to present its plans to the board next Tuesday.

“The change is going to be really good, and it looks amazing,” said Veronica Bojorquez, who opened Luna Coffee and Crystals in the Ballpark neighborhood six months ago.

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“We love it,” she added. “This is an amazing community. The support that we’ve gotten has been, oh my gosh, I did not expect it. Having more people in the neighborhood, that’s going to be really good for small businesses.”

The Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency drew up the ideas with community input in mind.

“Greenspace was a major part of not only the ideas of the redevelopment, but the general sentiment of the community,” said Project Manager Makena Hawley.

The bleachers will remain on the west side of the stadium.

“This is a community asset that we can use to keep open for if people want to run bleachers or sit and enjoy the views,” Hawley said.

The stadium’s vision will be preserved as a green space with a walkable promenade and event venue. A new fire station and library, in addition to new housing, will be built around the area.

Here are a few specific key elements:

Adaptive reuse of the southwest wing of the baseball stadium as a flexible entertainment venue.Preservation of other stadium elements, including the “arrival gateway” at the main entrance.A new festival street at 1300 South and West Temple, designed for community markets, art, and performances.New green space for the public.Pedestrian pathways and improved connectivity to transit.Year-round activation to support economic and cultural life in the neighborhood.Mixed-use commercial space and attainable housing options.

“The specific financing sources are unknown at the moment,” said Lauren Parisi, Senior Project Manager. “It will be a public-private partnership.”

She said the main goal is to come up with a vision and plan, and then the details will follow.

“Now we have this plan and the technical details to be able to attract investment to the site,” Parisi said.

Mayor Mendenhall said the investment in this space is a rare opportunity.

“It’s very rare that a city has 13 and a half acres so close to downtown in a historic neighborhood that we get to reimagine like we have here,” Mayor Mendenhall said.

Work on the space wouldn’t start until 2026. Mendenhall said the venue will still host events, so it won’t sit empty during the transition.

“You can imagine movie nights, concerts, farmers markets, sports exhibitions, maybe even a holiday pop-up market in this space. There is a ton of potential. Even though it is outside, covered in nature, there is a big gathering space out on the lawn. We have a lot of ideas coming out of the community, and we hope to keep it as active as possible,” Mayor Mendenhall said.

The first event will be a movie night on July 11, with popcorn offered. The movie starts at dusk.

Bojorquez said she plans on keeping a close eye on the project as she still has questions.

“I do see that there are going to be a lot of homes for sale, which is good. It’s just a lot of them. So it’s a little concerning with the traffic and what that’s going to look like for that area,” she added.

Bojorquez said that she wants to be involved in creating a successful community.

“I want to be part of the community and help any way we can,” she said.

Members of the public are encouraged to review the final draft of the plan and share feedback here or in person at the July 8 CRA Board of Directors meeting.

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