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November 8, 2002
Government specialist Richard Piatt reporting
A transformation
is in the works for downtown Salt Lake City.
More than $500,000 has been earmarked for a marketing campaign,
aimed at the Christmas shopping season and beyond.
They're talking about dressing up downtown with lights, window
displays and more.
The idea is to make downtown so attractive, you won't even
think about shopping anywhere else.
There
are dozens of empty storefronts on Salt Lake City's Main Street.
But in a few weeks, they won't LOOK empty. There will be displays,
lights, people on the sidewalk in front.
Think of the way it was during the Olympics and you'll get
an idea of what a 550-thousand taxpayer investment is trying
to accomplish.
"We
are working very hard to create a very vibrant downtown. And
that requires a big investment on a lot of people's part,"
says Alison McFarland, a development manager for Salt Lake
City Marketing.
That investment is taking shape quickly -- set to kick off
November 29th as 'Light Up the Night.'
Attractions include street performers, cauldrons of fire and
decorations.
They're focusing on Christmas shoppers at first. But after
Christmas, the effort will take another turn.
In spite
of the competition that normally exists between retailers,
both downtown malls and The Gateway are all part of this effort.
It's a unified effort to expand what people think of when
they think of downtown.
"We've got a good product, and now we're making sure
that product is promoted in different ways," says Bob
Farrington with the Downtown Alliance.
The half-million dollar investment is a beginning -- a fraction
of what some people say is needed to revitalize Main Street
in particular.
The owner of Sam Weller Bookstore says it's one step in the
right direction.
"In the end, the crucial factors are not how much money
is spent, but more tangible and enduring things like filling
the vacant buildings," says owner Tony Weller.
Other business-owners say 'it's about time' for the investment.
Most saw a drop in business after the Olympics.
"In
these meetings I always say, 'either walk the walk or talk
the talk,' and they're finally walking the walk, and that's
what we need," says The Globe Cafe owner Peter Berntsen.
Everyone,
from city officials to the merchants on Main Street, say the
Light up the Night campaign is just a start to addressing
the complex questions about how to bring more people to this
area.
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