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A ‘Liberty Park’ for west SLC is coming as voters give thumbs-up to $85M bond

Unofficial returns show nearly 69% approving the measure, which includes $27M for a regional park at the old Raging Waters site.

(Design Workshop | Salt Lake City) Rendering of features included for the planned Glendale Regional Park. The park will benefit from the $85 million bond on this fall's ballot.

  | Nov. 9, 2022, 4:46 a.m.
| Updated: 9:37 a.m.

Voters in Salt Lake City overwhelmingly favored taking on $85 million in new debt for parks, trails and open space.

According to unofficial returns Wednesday at 2:07 a.m., nearly 7 in 10 (about 69%) of city voters backed the measure. Roughly 31% cast ballots against it.

The proposal will infuse money into open space across the city, including $27 million to create Glendale Regional Park — a Liberty Park of sorts for the west side — at the site of the shuttered Raging Waters amusement park.

The rest will be spread across improvements along the Jordan River, Allen Park upgrades, yet-to-be-determined projects in each of the city’s seven council districts, developing green space at the Fleet Block in the Granary District, replacing the playground at Liberty Park, upgrading Fairmont Park, completing the Folsom Trail, and covering unexpected expenses.

Under the plan, property taxes on the median-priced home of $576,000 would go up by about $54 a year. Depending on market conditions, if the bonds are issued in two or more installments, it’s possible they may not result in any net increase to the existing property tax burden.