SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Wednesday announced the city is under contract to purchase Allen Park in the Sugar House neighborhood for $7.5 million.
The park at 1300 East near Westminster Avenue was facing potential development.
The purchase is being facilitated by park-designated impact fees, which must be spent on new park space or new park uses.
“Allen Park is a rare opportunity to preserve almost 7 acres of unique ecosystem in a historic area that would otherwise be developed by private entities,” Mendenhall said in a statement. “We have heard the request from many members of our community to use parks impact fees to purchase this land, and are grateful for an opportunity to be able to do so.”
While it will soon become a city park, the area remains closed to the public for now. City officials say they will seek public input to figure out how to best utilize the park space. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the timetables for public feedback and when the park will be open aren’t yet clear.
”This is an iconic parcel in a city that needs more open space,” City Council Chairman Chris Wharton said. “We hope we will have partners to help make it an important public park soon.”
Allen Park was purchased in 1931 by Dr. George Allen, an Illinois-trained physician, and his wife, Ruth, an artist and fashion illustrator. The couple lived in a lodge on the property with their children and an exotic bird collection. Old homes were put on new foundations and rented out over the decades.
The area is also known as “Hobbitville” because the small houses and log cabins found on the land looked like homes for hobbits.