This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As owner of the Bicycle Center in Sugar House, I applaud everyone involved in the current streetcar project.
The construction runs right behind the store, and it has been a pleasure working with city planners, contractor Stacy and Witbeck, the Utah Department of Transportation, the Salt Lake City sanitary district and the Utah Transit Authority. Each has gone out of its way to accommodate us during construction.
The streetcar will not only be a great asset to our business, but to all of Sugar House. Close to $500 million in private investment is already committed for new infrastructure, and that should grow.
If it achieves anything like the streetcar in Portland, Ore., everyone will benefit. In the past 11 years since Portland Streetcar was started, more than $10 billion in private money has been invested in new projects. Blighted inner-city areas were rejuvenated and new retail and residential areas are thriving. Portland is again vibrant.
The green space trail that runs alongside the streetcar will also be a great benefit to the public. I look forward to having the streetcar up and running.
Phil Blomquist
Sugar House