For nearly two years, the heart of Sugar House was a maze of orange cones, closed sidewalks, and confused drivers. The long-awaited construction along 2100 South left many local businesses struggling to stay afloat as foot traffic slowed and access became unpredictable. But earlier this month, those same businesses came together in the rain (they say rain is a sign of good luck) to celebrate something they hadn’t seen in years — open roads, open sidewalks, and open doors.
The occasion was SugarFest, a community-wide celebration marking the official completion of the long-running construction project. Live music, local vendors, and a steady stream of visitors filled the streets, reminding business owners why they fell in love with Sugar House in the first place.
“It was raining all day,” said Chad Hopkins, owner of Hopkins Brewing Company, “but it didn’t stop people from coming out. It ended up being the busiest Saturday we’ve had since before construction began.”
For Hopkins, the road to recovery has been a long one. “The construction hit us hard,” he said. “We were down 20 to 30 percent that first year, and since the project really ramped up in 2022 and 2023, sales have been essentially cut in half.”…