This new playground, open space marks a milestone for Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — A group of fourth-graders watched intently from a seating area within a new Salt Lake playground as Backman Elementary School Principal Matthew Teitter pulled out a photo to show them.

He held a portrait of a young Neil deGrasse Tyson, as the principal retold the renowned astrophysicist's origin, whose interest in the field began with a visit to a planetarium when he was about the same age as the fourth-graders are now. Perhaps that's the field these children will go into, but Teitter says it's possible that a new open space and playground near the banks of the Jordan River, just west of the school, may inspire them to go into other important science fields.

"What I hope is ... that at least some of you are inspired and feel like you have been called by the universe or the ecosystem right here to become the next generation of great scientists and engineers," he said.

A few moments later, a group of children helped cut a ribbon to officially open the Backman Community Open Space, 601 N. 1500 West. Some began running around and climbing all over every piece of the playground, while others toured a science station to learn about native bugs.

This new small park serves as a milestone for the city as the first completed project tied to an $85 million general obligation bond that residents approved in 2022.

It also completes a project first thought up about the same time these fourth-graders were born.

A long time coming

Getting to Thursday's ceremony was about a decade in the making, and it involved collaboration with a few entities. Soren Simonsen, executive director of the Jordan River Commission, remembers participating in a brainstorming session with children over potential park opportunities near the school in 2017, but the project also ran into doubt.

"At the end of our couple of hours with them, I heard a young boy mention, 'This was probably a waste of our time because none of this will ever happen,'" he said, telling KSL.com that the comment became a "motivator" in supporting investments for communities along the Jordan River that are frequently forgotten.

The project moved along slowly, but the momentum eventually shifted. The city opened a bridge in 2022 that made it easier for students living west of the river to walk to school, while it accepted feedback from the community, including children, in future planning.

National Park Service officials also assisted in planning, and the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation offered a grant to help complete the project. The city had gathered about $700,000 from that, city funds and the Salt Lake City School District's Education Foundation. The 2022 bond, which seeks to pay for park projects and maintenance citywide, covered the remaining $200,000.

"The new space achieves a goal voters set in place with the approval of (the bond) in 2022 — creating a safe place for families to spend time together in nature," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall in a statement.

A 'new chapter' for the Jordan River

Simonsen believes Backman Community Open Space is a "really important" space that can help turn around the river's negative perception. It's also the first of "many investments" near the Jordan River over the next five years, said Tyler Murdock, deputy director of the Salt Lake City Department of Public Lands.

Close to $40 million from the bond will benefit Jordan River parks, including Glendale Regional Park, which is expected to have its first phase open by the end of this year, according to the city.

Murdock refers to the river as the "cultural and ecological heart" of the west side but agrees that it hasn't received the treatment that it deserves. Salt Lake City is partnering with groups to identify areas along the river that could be used for learning, as it continues to look at ways to change that.

"We hope that today is not just the opening of a new park but is the opening of a new chapter of management and care for the Jordan River," he said.

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