The Business Advisory Board (BAB) is made up of city business owners and community leaders who partner with Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development. Its members are appointed by the mayor and must be SLC residents and/or have ownership interest in a Salt Lake City business. BAB helps direct city economic policy, promotes small business growth, supports local entrepreneurs, and encourages businesses to relocate to our city. As part of an ongoing effort to keep SLC’s business community in the loop, the BAB is blogging synopses of our monthly meetings here. (Recordings are available to the public as well.) The following is a recap of the BAB meeting held on Wednesday, September 12.
City Council Updates
Allison Rowland from City Council provided the BAB with a few updates. Mainly that City Council had conducted its third finding mission on the inland port in-an-effort-to ensure that all vested parties were communicating and talking to each other. Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Val Hale, presented. Needless-to-say, Council is very focused on this important issue. Block 67 continues to be of interest to Council.
The proposed development of Block 67 by the Ritchie Group is another issue that Allison mentioned City Council is very interested in.
Economic Development Updates
Roberta Reichgelt from Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development informed the BAB that the New Hope Building at 1102 W and 400 N has been selected to compete for Main Street America’s Partners in Preservation grant. The former church is being used as a community space and is looking to make some upgrades.
Board Member Announcements
Kristen Lavalett from Local First let the BAB know that the eleventh Celebrate the Bounty will be held in October at Café’ Molise new location which has not yet opened, but, by all accounts is very impressive. Tickets are available online at localfirst.org and are $60.
Kestrel Liedtke, from Tin Angel Café, recently held a farm to taco event with KRCL and The Granary District Mural Project has a kick-off event on September 29, from 5pm to 8pm that begins at Atmosphere Studios on 700 S and 326 W.
Local First Utah will also be putting on a Local Talks event which will likely be held at the city library to bring together notable business leaders in the local community to talk about the impact that their business has locally and to foster a sense of pride in the community.
Inland Port Update from Ken Bullock, Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs
Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs, Ken Bullock, gave the BAB an update on the progress on the inland port. Essentially, his message was that the bill has past, however, most of the work is yet to be done on what is realistically a thirty-year project. Ken believes there is a lack of trust among interested parties and that there has been a lack of transparency in the process and that there needs to be transparency for the community to trust the process and feel confident about the project moving forward.
Block 67 Presentation by The Ritchie Group
Ryan Ritchie presented the Ritchie Group’s plan to redevelop block 67. The proposal is a large mixed-use development on block 67 (300 W to 200 W & 100 S to 200 S) that includes residential, retail, a hotel, restaurants, a 450,000 square foot office building, parking, and a pedestrian friendly mid-block street. The Ritchie Group’s vision is for a LA Live style sports and entertainment district that they believe will connect the traditional central business district and the western portion of the central business district.
Business Items:
The BAB is currently short one member and an application has been turned in. In addition to the current opening, Casey McDonough’s term will be coming to an end in December, which means that it is time to start to accept applications.
Katie Lewis, Senior City Attorney, conducted the BAB’s annual Open Meetings Mandatory Training after which, the meeting was adjourned.
About BAB: The Business Advisory Board is a volunteer board made up of entrepreneurs who care about what happens in Salt Lake City’s business community. They advocate for small businesses and provide recommendations and advice to City leaders on ways to improve the business climate, while addressing our challenges with affordability and growth.
Mission: To foster an equitable and robust business ecosystem as ambassadors, advocates, and advisors.
Core Values:
- Commitment
- Vision
- Respect
- Collaboration
- Inclusivity
- Impactful
Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development 