Restoration campaign targets Utah Pickle Co. building to receive grant

Salt Lake City is seeking help from residents, business owners, patrons and visitors in an attempt to receive $150,000 in grant funding for the restoration of the historic Utah Pickle Co.

The building, at 741 S. 400 W. in the city’s Granary District, was built in 1894 and served as a pickle warehouse.

The city is asking people to participate in the “Pick the Pickle” campaign by voting once daily for up to five Main Street projects at http://VoteYourMainStreet.org/salt-lake-city through Oct. 31.

The campaign launches the city’s participation in this year’s “Partners in Preservation: Main Streets” initiative, which was created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express to engage the public in preserving and increasing awareness of America’s historic places and their role in sustaining local communities.

Salt Lake City is one of 25 cities nationwide vying for the grant funding. The program is offering a total of $2 million in grants.

Mayor Jackie Biskupski said the fact that Salt Lake City was chosen to participate in the “Partners” initiative speaks to the incredible things happening in the city.

“The business owners and entrepreneurs in Salt Lake City are passionate not just about the work they are doing and how it will advance their personal careers and growth of the city, but also about the importance to recognize, appreciate and protect its rich history,” Biskupski said.

The Granary District recently received Utah’s first neighborhood business district “Main Street America” designation. Ori Media’s proposed project in the district includes the expansion of the local creative business collective Studio Elevn into a restored and revitalized Utah Pickle Co. building to provide the district with event space, a media production studio, flexible office spaces for local artists and entrepreneurs, and a community garden that is poised to transform a significant part of 400 West between 700 and 800 South into beautiful, community destination designed to help revitalize the district through increased street activity, business growth and local spending.

“Our consistent success and growth has allowed us to steadily move toward our goal of being a center and resource for creative business in Salt Lake City,” said Michael Ori, president and founder of Ori Media. “We look forward to continuing our support of the artistic community, bridging the gap between creatives and tech leaders, and ultimately our collective voice to the world. We have the ability and the opportunity to shape this space and, by extension, the Granary District.”

Ori Media is planning a free community open house sometime in mid-October, allowing the public to gather at the building site to see architectural renderings of the space, enjoy food and beverages from Granary and Central Ninth neighborhood businesses, and hear music from local artists. The partners of the project’s developer, FORM Development, as well as Ori Media and Studio Elevn staff and Salt Lake City representatives, will be available to discuss the project with attendees.