Sugar House 'buycotts' set

Merchants in Sugar House located on the southwest corner of 2100 South and 1100 East in Salt Lake City have announced a series of "buycotts" to support locally owned businesses in the area.

Several merchants in the area have received eviction notices ahead of a planned redevelopment on that block. With expenses for each business estimated at up to $100,000 to move and recapture lost revenue, many of the businesses in the area have announced that they will close without increased consumer support.

The first "buycott" will be April 7, with subsequent events every other Saturday until July 7. The hours for the buycott will be normal business hours for the neighborhood. Each event will feature live music by local musicians, free samples and incentives to shop.

Along with the buycotts, Sugar House merchants also announced that there will be a coordinated open public forum for the public, government and nonprofit organizations to express their views and opinions concerning shopping locally, saving historic zones, preserving neighborhood integrity and learning what decisions go into zoning, master plans and community development.

Invitations to the open forum will be sent to local government officials and nonprofit organizations.

For more information, contact Andy Fletcher of Orion's Music of Salt Lake at 801-531-8181 or andyf@orionsmusic.com.