This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The announcement of sites for new homeless shelters in Salt Lake City caught many neighbors by surprise on Tuesday.
City leaders revealed locations for four 150-bed facilitates, along with plans to hold public meetings to mitigate the effects of relocating services for the homeless population.
• Shelter Site 1: Located at 653 E. Simpson Ave. (2300 South). It is currently home to a preschool called Lit'l Scholars Learning Center. It is near the Utah Transit Authority S-Line — the trolley that runs through Sugar House. As with all the selected locales, the site's immediate neighbors are commercial entities. But the area around the Simpson Avenue location is the most residential of the four shelter sites, with homes and apartments to the south on Green Street, and along 600 East. Preschool operators sent a message to parents Tuesday informing them they had no advance notice, adding "We have no plans to close or relocate at this time." Lit'l Scholars said it has a lease through 2019.
Salt Lake County assessor records list the current owner as the Forest Company. That company was incorporated 11 days before the city's announcement, according to state records. The property has an assessed market value of $1.6 million.
• Shelter Site 2: Located at 275 W. High Ave. (1400 South). It's currently a salvage yard occupied by Aloha Towing between Smith's Ballpark and Interstate 15. County records list the current owner as Mark Aletto and the property has an assessed market value of $1 million.
Aletto said he negotiated with a broker called Newmark Grubb ACRES, but concluded during negations that the property was intended as the site of a new shelter.
"I knew what the city was trying to do," he said. "Whether they said it or not, I understood that's what it would probably be."
Kelly Larsen, who works at Diamond Electric Motor and Tool on the corner of High Avenue and 300 West, said neighboring business owners are concerned that a smaller facility will lead to people loitering nearby once capacity is reached.
"Everyone thinks there's going to be problems caused," he said, "more graffiti, more break-ins and different things — we'll see."
He said he wasn't surprised by the announcement because the site is close to TRAX light rail lines and a new low-income housing development. But he added that there was no indication city planners were considering the area for a new shelter.
"They were keeping it secret because they knew people are going to complain wherever they put it."
• Shelter Site 3: Located at 131 E. 700 South. This is currently a Deseret Industries building owned by the LDS Church. County assessor records list the market value as $2.46 million. In Tuesday's press conference, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski said the city has an option to purchase the property for up to three years, and the city will look for a new Deseret Industries spot in downtown.
Amy Wadsworth, principal of the nearby Salt Lake Arts Academy, sent an email to parents on Tuesday saying the school will work with city leaders to address the needs of students.
"As an urban school, the homeless have always been with us," Wadsworth wrote. "It is part of our mission to teach our children to understand issues facing their city, and help them be empathetic and creative in how to solve problems."
• Shelter Site 4: Located at 648 W. 100 South. It is the site of a Wasatch Community Gardens and about four blocks from the existing downtown homeless shelter. It's already owned by Salt Lake City's Redevelopment Agency. County records list the market value as $321,000.
Michael Abouzelof, who works across the street at Metro Music Hall, said Tuesday's announcement was "kind of a shock."
"Nobody knew," he said. "We had no inkling that this was about to happen."
The concert venue's ownership changed in September, Abouzelof said, and the space is currently undergoing renovations.
The area is regularly frequented by homeless individuals, he said, but a shelter could increase those numbers and create an impression of danger.
"It could potentially impact business where people don't want to come down and watch a show here because they're afraid of something happening," he said.
City Councilwoman Lisa Adams, who represents Sugar House and the Simpson Avenue area, said she hoped residents and business owners would give the 150-bed shelters a chance.
"I'm hopeful the community will embrace these as an opportunity for people who need help."
Tribune reporters Benjamin Wood and Christopher Smart contributed to this story.
Twitter: @natecarlisle