Rail-line realignment gets go-ahead

Plans to transform a noisy freight rail line into a park along 900 South will require a second round of eminent-domain action.

The Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to start the land-condemnation process on two parcels of property and portions of two others needed for the Grant Tower rail-line realignment.

The project calls for the removal and realignment of the freight railroad tracks along 900 South and the Folsom Street rail corridor, making for a quieter, safer and more efficient rail line, city officials said.

The properties in question total just under 2.4 acres, the majority of which is a 2.21-acre lot at 4 S. 800 West owned by Rocky Mountain Power. City officials said no business relocations will result from the action, unlike the previous round of eminent-domain proceedings for the project.

Rod Fisher, director of community relations for Rocky Mountain Power, said the site has been planned for a future substation to keep up with expected power needs in the growing downtown area.

"We're all in favor of helping support the redevelopment of the downtown area," Fisher said. "However, we need to be kept whole and make sure we're protecting the assets we have."

For the past six months, Rocky Mountain Power has been searching for a suitable replacement parcel for the future substation but hasn't found one, he said.

"We want to find a solution to this," Fisher said. "Hopefully, we can avoid having this issue go before a court proceeding and have to argue the greater public use."

In September, the City Council authorized the government condemnation of eight properties in the area around 800 West and South Temple. Most of those property owners have either reached land-purchase agreements with the city or are close to doing so, said D.J. Baxter, an adviser to Mayor Rocky Anderson.

The Grant Tower rail line includes two 90-degree-angle turns in the area west of The Gateway. Because trains had to slow dramatically to make the turns, Union Pacific in 2001 reactivated the rail line along 900 South, allowing trains to bypass the area.

Realignment plans call for the two sharp turns to be straightened and the freight line along 900 South to be replaced with a linear park.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in January and take 18 months to complete, Baxter said.

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