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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's capital city will move forward with "below-market" lease discussions with the University of Utah over a new Utes baseball stadium after some adjustments were made to the proposed agreement over the past month.
The Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to adopt a public benefits analysis tied to the plan, authorizing the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office to negotiate a final deal on the conditions outlined in the analysis. The city's goal is to have the lease finalized in time for it to go into effect in July, which is also when stadium construction may begin.
"We are conserving this Sunnyside Park for future generations," said Salt Lake City Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez, before the vote. "We are seeing investment and partnership with the University of Utah, and this is a good step for public benefit. ... It's exciting to see this."
Under the conditions that the council approved, Salt Lake City would lease about 1.18 acres of city-owned land at Sunnyside Park to the university for 99 years at $1 per year. In return, it would pay the city $4.2 million, which would go directly into improvements to Sunnyside Park. It also wouldn't need to build a 35-foot wall between the stadium and the park.
The university has since agreed to add some additional provisions, said Salt Lake City senior attorney Kimberly Chytraus, who offered the City Council a progress update on negotiation earlier in the day. Some issues with the agreement arose after details of the deal were unveiled last month,
The project now calls for a 20-foot setback from Guardsman Way, which wasn't included in the initial design concept. The university would also offer residents the ability to rent out the team's facilities for events when they are not being used by the baseball team. Groups would just have to pay an operational fee to cover the price of having any required staff at the venue for the event.
"City residents and recreational groups would be able to lease the stadium and a practice facility for the cost of the operations," Chytraus said.
The leased area also would remain open to the public whenever the stadium is not being used for an event. A new restroom facility planned for the stadium will have doors facing the park during these times, so park users can use it. The estimated $600,000 cost for the restrooms would not come out of the $4.2 million dedicated to the park.
Chytraus said the city asked the university to protect four sequoia trees within the city land, if possible, as well. At least one of them is expected to be removed in construction, but the others could be saved.
Tuesday's approval came with an additional contingency that the city and university reach an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management, as well. That's because some of the project involves land managed by the agency, so it requires federal approval, Chytraus said.
The Utes baseball team has played at Smith's Ballpark over the past several seasons; however, the university began revisiting plans for its own ballpark last year after the Salt Lake Bees announced they would play in a new stadium beginning in 2025.
While the stadium can be constructed without a city lease, it's required to avoid the need of a 35-foot wall between the stadium and the park. A public benefits analysis was triggered when the city offered a "below market" lease rate in those conservations.
Tuesday's updates — and vote — took place as residents have been split over the proposal. Some residents asked the city to reconsider the lease amid concerns with the ballpark plan or the traffic it may bring to the neighborhood. Others asked why the city would offer a below-market lease while the cost of operating youth baseball rises.
Others were also supportive of improvements to the aging Sunnyside Park. Christian Gardner and Katie Eccles, chairman and vice chairwoman of the University of Utah Board of Trustees, sent Salt Lake City a letter on Feb. 13, explaining that the school has gathered feedback from more than 6,400 neighborhoods through events, surveys and online engagement. They added that they believe the $4.2 million would be a "substantial investment" to help repair the park.
Salt Lake City Councilman Dan Dugan thanked everyone who participated during the public comment period after Tuesday's vote.
"We heard across the board, from across the city and the community," he said. "This dialogue, I believe, will make Sunnyside (Park) better, and it's (revitalizing) the park."
