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SALT LAKE CITY — Allen Park is once again open to the public after winter conditions prompted an emergency seasonal closure in December.
Salt Lake City Public Lands officials announced Monday that the park, located off 1300 East and near 1700 South, had once again reopened following a three-month closure.
Although Allen Park experienced temporary closures over the winter due to snow and ice, the property is now open again! Additional weather-related closures are unlikely as warm weather is on the horizon. Enjoy! https://t.co/z6Y6K4ytqh#SLC#SLCPublicLandspic.twitter.com/QPbvaWxbVY
— SLC Public Lands (@SLCPPL) March 29, 2021
It had opened for the first time in decades in October but closed on Dec. 29 due to safety concerns during the winter. Officials said at the time that the condition of Allen Park Drive made snow plowing "impossible" and it couldn't salt the road because it was too close to Emigration Creek, which runs through the park.
Due to the park's size, snow shoveling by hand was also off the table so the city decided to close the park until conditions improved.
Allen Park was once the home of Dr. George Allen and Ruth Larsen Allen, who originally purchased the property in 1931. Through the years, they used the property to house their exotic bird collection and added all sorts of concrete signs with all sorts of sayings and literature quotes on them.
The Allens made their property open to the public on Sunday afternoons and it drew in curious residents at the time; however, it hadn't been made open to the public in 50 years before its reopening in October.
Salt Lake City leaders purchased the land for $7.5 million last year after it was considered for redevelopment that would demolish the historic place, and it officially opened as a city park on Oct. 4, 2020.
Public lands officials said in December that the park attracted thousands of people before it closed. Plans are still in the works to make improvements to the park.
