Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
The much-anticipated vision for Utah’s Ballpark neighborhood was released this week, and it has neighbors split.
Tony Semerad reports that the ambitious Ballpark NEXT vision includes a marquee entertainment venue, a library, a fire station, two multistory parking garages and lots of housing. On social media, Tribune readers shared what they were most excited — and frustrated — about.
Housing
“Well we need more high density housing, sounds good”
“We need the housing units going in to be managed as cooperative housing. The chasm between renting and owning is too vast, as co-ops will allow tenants to have ownership and leave with the principal they paid into it when they move.”
Sports
“This would have been a really cool women’s sports complex. Like the submission that took 1st place in the city ‘competition’ a few years back.”
“Or, hear me out, another baseball team. They don’t need to be a[n] AAA team. Just literally any minor league team.”
Parking
“We don’t need more parking garages in Utah. Do better.”
“Parking garages 🙄 multi family homes … so luxury apartments 😑 until stated otherwise this is very disappointing to hear.”
Community space
“I [expletive] LOVE LIBRARIES LETS GOOOOO”
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Utah Voices
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The shore of the Great Salt Lake, with Salt Lake City in the distance, as seen from Antelope Island on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
The following excerpts come from op-eds recently published in The Tribune.
Why Utah should charge people to use this ‘precious and limited resource’
“We know how important water is,” writes The Tribune’s editorial board. “That should be reflected in what it costs. Instead of letting so much of it flow free to holders of decades-old water rights, or subsidizing water systems through the use of property taxes rather than per-gallon fees, Utah should charge people to use this precious and limited resource. Instead of intricate and difficult-to-enforce limits and rules, we should develop actual water markets to encourage the ingenuity of farmers and other land managers to get by with less water.” Read more.
How The Trib brought you ‘No Kings’ coverage
“As local journalists, we are on the ground every day,” writes Lauren Gustus, Executive Editor and CEO of The Tribune. “It’s not our job to sweep a story into a national narrative, but to do the work of sensemaking for local residents. The ‘No Kings’ shooting is a complicated and confusing story, and The Tribune’s role is to be a source of thorough and thoughtful information and context in this chaotic information state we live in.” Read more.
How Utahns come together despite ‘enormous uncertainty around education programs’
“Regardless of how the federal uncertainty plays out, place-based civic impact infrastructure is essential,” writes Zions Bancorporation CEO Harris H. Simmons, South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood and more than a dozen local leaders. “The current debate about roles in education should focus more on the critical and harder work of supporting what is working with adequate funding — including building the local civic impact infrastructure necessary for all our children to be on the path to economic mobility. Our hope is that more schools and communities embrace this approach.” Read more.
Share Your Perspective
(Haiyun Jiang | The New York Times) The Capitol was quiet Sunday afternoon with President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” deadline of July 4 approaching, in Washington, June 29, 2025. The Senate opened debate on the embattled Republican tax cuts and domestic policy bill, as Republican leaders toiled to build enough support in their own ranks.
How will the “Big Beautiful Bill” impact your life? Share your thoughts.
From Bagley’s Desk
Total Obliteration | Pat Bagley
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.
