Matthew Piper

Government reporter

Matthew joined The Tribune in 2012 and has worked as a copy editor, general assignment reporter, University of Utah sports reporter and as a reporter/editor on the web desk. He now covers Salt Lake City.

(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Overniter Motel at 1500 west North Temple in Salt Lake City Monday October 23, 2017. Salt Lake City's Redevelopment Agency has proposed a $4 million loan to buy the and replace it with a development that includes affordable housing, part of a broader plan to create more than 750 affordable units using $22 million set aside by the City Council.

Rather than loan $4M to a developer, SLC Council votes to buy North Temple motel and hold public bid process

By Matthew Piper | October 25, 2017, 3:19 a.m.

Salt Lake City has $22M to spend on affordable housing. A North Temple motel teardown is first on the mayor’s wish list.

By Matthew Piper | October 24, 2017, 5:49 p.m.

(Steve Griffin | Tribune file photo) Motorcycle officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department ride down 400 west as law enforcement officers from several agencies increase their presence in the Rio Grand homeless area in Salt Lake City Monday August 14, 2017.

As leaders assess first two months, Operation Rio Grande gets a thumbs up from Utah voters

By Matthew Piper | October 19, 2017, 2:52 p.m.

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) People outside of Gateway Inn 819 West North Temple in Salt Lake City Tuesday, October 17, 2017.

Operation Rio Grande disrupts drug dealers, but it hasn’t put them out of business

By Matthew Piper | October 18, 2017, 5:25 p.m.

Bill Wyatt, former CEO of the Port of Portland, Ore., was nominated as director of Salt Lake City Airports Department by Mayor Jackie Biskupski. The Salt Lake City Council approved his appointment.

SLC Council approves new airport director to oversee $3B rebuild

By Matthew Piper | October 18, 2017, 3:44 a.m.

(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers cement fence posts into position on Rio Grande Street in Salt Lake City in September.

Rio Grande Street closure gets SLC Council’s approval

By Matthew Piper | October 18, 2017, 3:25 a.m.

Lennie Mahler | Tribune file photo

Diplo performs in the Twilight Concert Series at Pioneer Park in August 2016.

SLC to take a year off Twilight, consider new model in 2019

By Matthew Piper | October 18, 2017, 3:07 a.m.

(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Homelessness advocate, educator, Iain De Jong speaks at a breakout session to Utah homeless service providers at Utah's 14th Annual Homelessness Summit in Salt Lake City Wednesday Oct. 11. He spoke on housing-focused services in shelter and when to encourage self resolution.

Leading homelessness expert calls Operation Rio Grande a ‘disaster’

By Matthew Piper | October 12, 2017, 3:11 a.m.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Plaza on State Street Tuesday September 20, 2016.

Salt Lake City bids $4M to buy back blighted State Street housing project

By Matthew Piper | October 11, 2017, 3:15 a.m.

(Salt Lake City Police Department/Courtesy of Karra Porter) In this July 26, 2017, frame grab from video taken from a police body camera and provided by attorney Karra Porter, nurse Alex Wubbels is arrested by a Salt Lake City police officer at University Hospital in Salt Lake City. The Utah police department is making changes after the officer dragged Wubbels out of the hospital in handcuffs when she refused to allow blood to be drawn from an unconscious patient.

Footage ‘tells the truth,’ Utah nurse says after the SLC officer who arrested her was fired

By Luke Ramseth | Pamela Manson | Matthew Piper | November 7, 2017, 8:35 p.m.