Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Needle Park
Posted By Babs De Lay on March 9, 2022, 4:00 AM
Decades ago, in New York City, there was a forgotten 10 acres of public space called Bryant Park at 1071 Avenue of the Americas between West 40th and West 41st streets. By the 1980s, it had become a version of what our Pioneer Park recently became—a campground for the unsheltered and a place to buy and use drugs.
Even though Bryant Park held some rich history, locals avoided it, despite the fact it was in a great location in Manhattan. It had been a site for military drills during the American Revolution and later, in the early 1800s, became a public cemetery for the unknown or indigent people. Even though it was designated a public park in 1871, it became neglected and, according to the book The Power Broker, "a haven for drunks and idlers."
Out West, Pioneer Park in downtown Salt Lake City was originally Pioneer Fort, and as the Daughters of Utah Pioneers noted, "What Plymouth is to New England, the Old Fort is to the Great West." It was the landing place of Mormons who arrived in 1847 and within a week, they began building a fort with log cabins and adobe walls.
After 1890, it was used as a playground, and in 1898 it was dedicated as Pioneer Park. Ever since then, locals have struggled as to how the land should be used. In the 1940s, some wanted to turn it into a larger area for a golf course. Then, in the 1950s, plans were made to re-create the first school house and original cabins there.
In the 1990s, the Deseret News reported that Pioneer Park's location near the bus station, Rescue Mission, Salvation Army and shelters made the place a natural congregation for transients.
Since the main downtown shelter has been bulldozed, fewer transients are seen at the park. They have been "pushed" to other places in the city by police and the health department. Having lived for 20 years a block away from the park, I sat on many committees discussing what to do with the green space to make it more inviting.
The city is once again accepting ideas as to what would make Pioneer Park more like the Bryant Park of today—a fabulous mid-town gathering place for concerts and a sponsored winter market that runs from October through March each year with almost 200 vendors.
Salt Lake City staff and a group called Design Workshop have requested $20 million to add pickleball courts, a café, a water misting feature, bus stops, a basketball court, an all-age playground and fitness circuit and an enhanced dog park.
New York's Bryant Park gathered massive financial support from the businesses surrounding it, whereas Salt Lake's Pioneer Park has support but, to date, not even one-tenth of the funds come from businesses. Instead, they are relying on the city to fund the changes.
Everyone wants a better park if the city has the money, but let's not forget there are several other green spaces that need attention in this town.
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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