What was once an empty parking lot is now a colorful community gathering place. Sugarmont Plaza opens tomorrow, June 14, at 2227 S. Highland Drive. The revitalized space gives locals a place to relax after shopping or dining in Sugar House.

Sugarmont Plaza is located next to the vacant Desert Industries building on Highland Drive. The project was designed to turn an unused space into a community resource, without requiring a big budget or lengthy planning process, said Mark Morris, one of the project’s organizers and member of Friends of the South Salt Lake and Sugar House Streetcar.

An artist's rendering of Sugarmont Plaza

“The idea is that if you can do things that are really inexpensive, you can build public support for more permanent places,” Morris said.

A grand opening celebration including music and food from local food trucks will be held tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m.

The plaza is designed to remain open until late fall. Morris said that if the plaza proves successful, he hopes to reopen it next spring and let it serve as a way to welcome people riding the Sugar House Streetcar into the neighborhood. The Sugar House Streetcar is a joint project between UTA, Salt Lake City, and South Salt Lake , and the first phase is scheduled to open in December.

“This year we did a temporary plaza, then next year when the street car is up and running, maybe it will become a more (structured) plaza space,” he said. “Our goal is to draw people toward the heart of Sugarhouse and encourage them to explore our business district.”

The plaza is directly accessible from bus route 213 and is within a short walk from routes 21, 220, and 209. Morris emphasized that once you’re in Sugar House, there’s a range of shopping, dining and entertainment available within a ten-minute walk.

Friends of the South Salt Lake and Sugar House Streetcar created the concept for the plaza and helped organize the revitalization effort. The plaza was partially funded by the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency.

More information is available at https://www.facebook.com/SLinefriends.