Mayor Mendenhall, Ballpark neighbors meet to discuss life after baseball

SALT LAKE CITY —  Residents of the Ballpark neighborhood met with Mayor Erin Mendenhall and other community leaders March 13.

Some in attendance expressed grief over an unwelcome surprise when news came of the Salt Lake Bees relocating to Daybreak.

Others, like neighbor Jordan Menzel said they are excited about what might come next.  Menzel told KSL 5 he and others are on board to help in the next big idea for a neighborhood in transition.

“As a city we truly have a community driven solution to this really big opportunity,” said Menzel.

Mendenhall hopes that next big idea comes out of a contest the city is sponsoring that awards money for ideas of what to do with the neighborhood going forward.  The city also has 100 million dollars from private donors for social programs that would benefit residents.

“The opportunities for this 100 million are limitless. It could include anything from early childhood development that’s highly affordable or even free, workforce training,” according to Mendenhall.

Another neighbor, Douglas Flaglar hopes what doesn’t happen is rapid and unwanted development.

“I think my biggest worry is that there’ll be stagnation in this process. We had the Fleet Block that has sat empty for too long and I would hate to see the ballpark turn into the Fleet Block,” said Flaglar.

Mendenhall said she hopes that whatever idea develops, it will help amplify and support this neighborhood in a way the baseball team simply could not.

Related: Salt Lake Bees baseball relocating to new field in Daybreak in 2025