Salt Lake City's Old GreekTown is Being Eaten Away by Demolition and Development

Map showing new and current construction (2021)
along 200 South and between 500-600 West

Four major construction projects have or will demolish all but 5 of the historic buildings along 200 South between 500-600 West. This section of 200 South was, until recently, one of the better-preserved historic streetscapes representing the historic Greek and Italian ethnic neighborhoods of SLC.

SLC’s Old GreekTown once encompassed the area northwest of Pioneer Park: between the two Railroad Depots (Union Pacific at South Temple and 400 West and the Rio Grande at 300 South and 350 West) and along 200 South between 200 West and 600 West.

In the pre-pandemic era of 2019, there were 12 remaining historic buildings along 200 South between 500-600 West; this was down from nearly 30 historic buildings lining the block in 1950.  After all the current construction is completed there will be 5 historic buildings remaining.

The four projects are:

1. Central Station at 549 W 200 South: This 65-unit apartment project has demolished the 3 Thomas Electric Co buildings in 2020.
2. Central Station West at 577 W 200 South: This 65-unit apartment project has recently demolished the building previously known as the Bricks/Club Sound/In the Vue nightclub.
3. The Cinq at 530 W 200 South: This 203-unit apartment project will preserve most of what remains of the historic Central Warehouse building (520 W 200 South) and will demolish the Citizens Investment Co Building (most recently known as Metro Bar/Café Orbit) at 540 W 200 South.
4. Greenprint Gateway at 592 W 200 South: This 150-unit apartment project will demolish the Green Manufacturing Co (most recently an automobile repair shop) built 1940 at 568 W 200 South. 

Of note, the existing Artspace Bridge Projects complex at 511 W 200 South built in 2001 demolished the buildings associated with SLC Greek Boss Nicholas D. Stathakos; you will remember his story from his house at 963 E200 South that I profiled as part of the “China Blue” rezone proposal a few months ago.

What will be left will be part of the Central Warehouse (520 W 200 S), Am Furniture Manufacturing (566 W 200 S), Michael Shoenfeld Studio (560 W 200 S), the Hong Kong Teahouse (565 W 200 S), and the Corum Building (561 W 200 S).

This stretch of Old GreekTown is part of the Warehouse National Historic District (Boundary Increase) which was designated in 2016 to incentivize historic preservation through the availability of federal tax credits.  The designation of a *National* Historic District does not offer any legal protections against demolition, only the designation of a *Local* Historic District at the city level mandates a review through the SLC Historic Landmark Commission. None of the buildings along 200 South between 500-600 West are Local historic landmarks or within a local historic district.

Green Manufacturing Co (most recently an automobile repair shop) built 1940 at 568 W 200 will be demolished as art of the Greenprint Gateway project.

Most of the buildings in this photograph from 2016 have been demolished. The Thomas Electric Co (beige buildings on the left) and the Bricks/Club Sound/In the Vue nightclub (red buildings at right). For now, the the Hong Kong Teahouse (obscured by trees, but right of the grey building), and the Corum Building (grey building, center of photo).