Your Daily Guide

Lopez Chavez Temporarily Suspended

The Salt Lake City Council voted Tuesday evening to formally investigate sexual misconduct allegations against Council Member Eva Lopez Chavez and temporarily suspend some of her council responsibilities. Lopez Chavez denies wrongdoing but says she supports an independent review, which is expected to conclude in July. [KUTV]

Construction Is Back in Sugar House

Did it ever actually end? Another wave of major development is headed to Sugar House, including multiple apartment buildings, affordable senior housing, and the long-planned eastern expansion of the S-Line. [Building Salt Lake 🔒]

Airport Parking Will Cost More

Parking at Salt Lake City International Airport is getting more expensive. Starting July 1, garage rates will increase from $40 to $45 per day and economy parking from $12 to $14. The increase is expected to bring in more than $5 million annually. [Salt Lake Tribune 🔒]

Liberty Park Is Getting a Facelift

Salt Lake City has released a new vision for Liberty Park that will fix and update aging infrastructure, plant sustainable water-wise landscaping, and make it more ADA friendly over the next 10 years. We round up the highlights. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

For this week’s chatter, City Cast Salt Lake readers shared what they notice, love, and wish parks across the valley did better. So we paired their comments with data from our parks project, where we visited all 511 parks in Salt Lake County, to add a little context to their feedback.

Family-Friendly Amenities

“I have a 5-year-old, the playground is VERY important to a good park. He would say swings are the most important, and I agree. Swings are something you can do together! For the parents, good shade coverage is a must, too. Two parks that do both of those well are Draper City Park and Union Park in Midvale!” — El G.

Only 3% of Salt Lake County parks have all five family-friendly amenities: bathrooms, a playground, a splash pad, picnic tables, and water fountains.

Park Bathrooms

“Bathrooms! I’m training my kids to bring up bathrooms at every public engagement event they attend for the foreseeable future.” — @johnnaeshines

Currently, 69% of parks don’t have year-round bathroom access. But Salt Lake City set money aside from the $85 million parks bond to go toward bathroom upgrades in big parks like Fairmont, Glendale, Pioneer, and Liberty.

What’s Up With Pioneer Park?

“What's up with the construction at the park near The Gateway?” — @fitznfaith0

Pioneer Park is undergoing a major makeover to add new amenities like playgrounds, sports courts, a dog park, and updated infrastructure for year-round use. The $18 million project is expected to be completed by late 2026.

Thank you to Tracy Aviary for supporting our parks project. Spring is an ideal time to visit Tracy Aviary. The season doesn’t just arrive; it hatches. Discover what’s taking flight this spring!

City Cast Salt Lake Neighbors are sharing their Salt Lake faves.

📣 Luis F. wants to shout out the Mexicano-Latino Institute of Utah, which powers the Consulate of Mexico’s cultural and educational programs and promotes Latin American and Mexican heritage in Utah communities.

📣 Mike P. loves Old Cuss Cafe, which officially opened downtown on Pierpont Avenue after a year-ish in the making. Go check out the new digs and get yourself some top-tier food and drinks (veggie and vegan, too).

📣 Jed W. is a fan of Fresh Donuts & Deli! They are family-owned, and their affordable doughnuts are made with love. There’s always a line out the door for a reason!

Do you have a local business that’s your current obsession? The people of Salt Lake wanna know!