A bold, community-informed vision for the future of the historic Ballpark neighborhood is moving forward today.
The Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) has released the final draft of the Ballpark Design Plan, marking a major milestone in the effort to reimagine the future of the historic Smith’s Ballpark site and its surrounding neighborhood. The plan will be formally presented to the CRA Board of Directors for discussion and public comment at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, with final endorsement anticipated in August.
The Ballpark Design Plan represents the culmination of a robust, transparent public engagement process that included a design competition, workshops, focus groups, surveys, and direct collaboration with community stakeholders.“The Ballpark neighbors themselves made this plan possible—through survey responses, late-night meetings, and a wall of blue and yellow sticky notes,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
The result is a neighborhood-scale vision that embraces adaptive reuse of the ballpark structure, introduces vibrant public spaces, supports mixed-use commercial and residential development, and creates new opportunities for year-round events, economic growth, and neighborhood identity.
A community-centered design
At the heart of the design is the concept of preserving and transforming key elements of the stadium. The most notable being reuse of the stadium and an “arrival gateway” anchoring the neighborhood’s identity. The design also introduces a multipurpose festival street off of the stadium’s west facade along West Temple, envisioned as a year-round hub for markets, music, art, and public gatherings.
In addition to supporting economic and cultural activation, the plan focuses on improving walkability, enhancing access to green space, and strengthening connections to nearby transit, schools, and services.
“This isn’t just a vision—it’s a concrete step toward the kind of community residents have told us they want,” said Council Member Darin Mano, who chairs the CRA Board and represents the Ballpark area. “It’s inclusive, creative, and deeply rooted in the character of the neighborhood.”
Looking Ahead
The Ballpark Design Plan does not prescribe specific developments but instead establishes a flexible, values-based framework to guide public and private investment. It intentionally leaves room for complementary housing strategies, such as attainable homeownership, family housing, and aging-in-place models, to be pursued alongside the physical transformation of the site. Feedback from community members helped inform this balanced approach.
The CRA will release a request for proposals on phase one development later this year. In the meantime, the agency is working with contractors and community partners to activate the site throughout 2025 with food truck nights, outdoor markets and neighborhood concerts. These interim uses will ensure the site remains welcoming, safe, and energized while long-term plans progress.
Public participation encouraged
The CRA invites residents, business owners, and all community stakeholders to review the final draft and share feedback ahead of the July 8 CRA Board meeting. The full plan is available online.
