Sugarhouse (Bryn)

I believe this is the last post I will have for this class. I have just finished counting all of mine, and I do indeed have eleven individual posts including this one. It appears my group and I only did three group posts, but I will continue to look.
The last walkabout my group went on was to Sugarhouse. I found that when we went on the walkabout we noticed the hole had a very negative impact overall on the community. It greatly cut down on the walkability of the area, and now the only traffic that remains at the intersection of 21st and 11th is car traffic. We were able to conduct five different interviews, although we were really hoping for a sixth. The first interview was with an employee of Sugarhouse Coffee, one of the stores that used to be located where the hole now is. They have since moved across the street. The employee was very helpful and informative about what the community's outlook is on the project, and also the effect it had on local businesses. He talked about why he felt the old buildings were torn down, and what people feel the developer is trying to do. This was probably my favorite interview, but I very much enjoyed the interview my group conducted with Mecham, the man responsible for the torn down buildings.
Mecham had a completely different view of Sugarhouse than anyone else we talked to. All the local business owners, residents, and employees we spoke to thought very negatively of the situation. They didn't believe the buildings needed to go, and because they were torn down, Sugarhouse has become less of what it once was. Mecham, on the other hand, told us Sugarhouse was very near and dear to his heart, and the community was falling apart. He believes his project will revitalize the community. He plans to build a multi-use seven-story building made of steel, glass, and red brick. All the buildings in Sugarhouse are about one to two story buildings, and the new seven-story complex will be completely out of place. Only high-end retailers will be able to afford to rent space in the designated retail area of the complex, eliminating places for local businesses to thrive.
My group and I are putting the finishing touches on our project this weekend, and we are excited to share with everyone what we have learned.