Japan Town is dividing officials

Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County are fighting again — this time over a proposal to help Utah's Japanese community re-create Japan Town in the heart of Utah's capital.

County Councilman Joe Hatch is making the latest accusations, saying Salt Lake City is backing off previous commitments to help fund a renewed Japan Town. He describes Salt Lake City's current commitment to the Japanese community as "a pat on the head."

Hit with the flak, City Council members argue they never made any financial commitments, especially since they have little, if any, money to help support a Japan Town plan.

Hatch maintains city officials including Mayor Rocky Anderson and several City Council members represented in closed-door meetings last year that the city's Redevelopment Agency could help Japan Town.

"There's no question the commitment they made was a financial commitment," Hatch said.

However, when the City Council sent a joint resolution to the County Council regarding Japan Town and Salt Palace Convention Center expansion, there was a less serious financial commitment, Hatch said.

All that's left of the city's formerly thriving Japan Town are two churches — the Japanese Church of Christ and the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, both on 100 South between 300 and 200 West.

Both places of worship are being encroached upon by the ever-expanding convention center. Eventually the county may need the temple's land for further expansion, so an idea arose to move the temple closer to 300 West, to close 100 South for a public plaza and create a Japanese district that might attract businesses and revive the former Japan Town, which was displaced by the original Salt Palace decades ago.

Of course, all that will take money.

A resolution circulated by Anderson's office stated the city and county would work toward making Japan Town a reality. Such efforts may include "the purchase or exchange of land to accommodate the revitalization of Japan Town," the mayor's draft resolution stated.

But City Council members softened that language by adding phrases like "as feasible" and tying any land acquisition funds to further Salt Palace expansion. They sent their new version to county leaders last week.

"I've got to admit I was very shocked by that resolution," Hatch said.

Anderson's office agreed the measure was softer but is staying out of the fray, allowing both councils to hash out their differences.

"We did feel that it was a little watered-down," said Anderson's chief of staff, Sam Guevara.

City Council members maintain they wanted the resolution to reflect reality and didn't want to build up hopes for promised funding that will never materialize.

"Let's be honest and not blow a lot of smoke," City Councilman Dave Buhler said.