Becker picks new site for police HQ - across street from Library Square
By Rosemary Winters
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 07/02/2009 01:10:28 PM MDT
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker still wants a public-safety complex built near downtown's showcase main library -- but on the east side of 300 East.
On Thursday, Becker recommended the Salt Lake City Council place a $125 million bond on November's ballot to fund a five-story police-fire headquarters and a three-story emergency-operations center.
A new report, completed by David Hart, architect of the state's Capitol renovation, recommends the "Barnes Bank block" across 300 East from Library Square as the "preferred" site for the facilities. Becker backs the recommendation, according to a news release.
Last month, the mayor, responding to public outcry, dropped a proposal to place the public-safety complex on the east end of Library Square (west of 300 East). Critics worried the complex would detract from the award-winning library's stunning design and shrink open space downtown.
One opponent of the Library Square site, former Councilwoman Deeda Seed, said in a statement Wednesday that she supports placing the complex farther east.
"Salt Lake City has an urgent need for a new public-safety building. We've known for years about serious deficiencies in the current building," Seed said. "We truly cannot afford to wait any longer to address this problem."
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