- Ryan Smith’s vision for downtown Salt Lake City raises concerns among leaders of two churches in historic Japantown.
- One leader said she worries that the area will be ‘back of house’ for the district.
- A Smith Entertainment Group representative said adjustments have been made to protect Japantown’s historical significance.
SALT LAKE CITY — Ryan Smith has released a clearer vision of how he’d like to transform downtown Salt Lake City, but neighbors of the planned “sports, entertainment, culture and convention” district say they’re concerned about impacts they say the plans don’t address.
Members of the Japanese Church of Christ and Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, the last remaining pieces of a once vibrant Japantown community, worry that it could further impact the historic neighborhood that’s been mostly erased through redevelopment over the past few decades.
“People are concerned,” said Lynne Ward, an elder at the Japanese Church of Christ, explaining that the concerns range from the construction impacts to how pieces of the project will function if it’s built as planned…