The Downtown Retail Merchants Association supports the concept of a light rail system running down the middle of Salt Lake Valley but has reservations about the idea if Main Street is changed significantly and the merchants damaged economically.
That word came from Skip Daynes, owner of Daynes Music Co., a longtime Main Street business, during the association's annual membership meeting Thursday in the Red Lion Hotel.Daynes said he recently viewed a video prepared to encourage voters to vote in November in favor of a light rail system but was disturbed over the end of the video, which showed Main Street sidewalks being torn up. "I don't like the idea of tearing up the sidewalks that we are still paying for," he said.
Downtown merchants welcome any idea that brings people downtown, Daynes said, but not at the expense of the merchants. "We have a great city and we want it to stay that way," he said.
During the meeting, Daynes was re-elected president and Eric Shapiro of Shapiro Travel Goods was re-elected first vice president. They and Bret Cunningham of Dahle's Big and Tall and Carol Dibblee, director, comprise the executive committee.
Also speaking was Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini who talked about the recently passed city budget and her three programs of shared services, affordable housing and economic development.