Salt Lake City park to close again — this time for upgrades

SALT LAKE CITY — A west-side park that once closed over increasing crime and homelessness is getting yet another makeover.

But that means it will be closed again for the remainder of this year and the start of next year.

Salt Lake City plans to close Madsen Park, 9 N. Chicago Street, on Monday, to begin several amenity upgrades for one of the few park spaces near the growing North Temple Corridor.

The project calls for new event infrastructure, park lighting, a half-court basketball, a "game zone" and off-leash dog play areas, as well as new water-wise plantings and drinking fountains, according to the city. It says it matches what residents in and around the Euclid and Jackson areas requested during the planning process.

"This project brings those community priorities to life," said Dustin Wiberg, senior landscape architect at the Department of Public Lands, in a statement. "These improvements will create more ways for people to enjoy the park and help make it a more welcoming place for the neighborhood."

The project is expected to be completed by spring 2027.

Madsen Park is now over 80 years old, but it became a misfit and, in recent decades, a nuisance.

Salt Lake City considered relocating the park to a new location along 900 West through a plan adopted in 2010, and it also temporarily closed the park in 2021 over concerns about crime and homelessness.

City leaders recently amended the plan, however, to "explore various funding sources" to "rebuild a vibrant park that encourages use and diverse activities."

The goal shifted to keep the space closer to North Temple, which has drastically changed over the past decade. Many new housing developments have brought many new residents to the area.

Madsen Park's revitalization began last year. Salt Lake City partnered with the national nonprofit Kaboom and many volunteers to rebuild the park's playground, seeking to meet the needs of current and future families.

"We're building this playground not just for the kids who will use it next month but the ones who will move in here in a few months," said Peter Christophersen, a project manager for Kaboom, at the time.

Salt Lake City ultimately directed $1.05 million toward additional upgrades from an $85 million parks improvement bond that residents approved in 2022. It's the latest in a wave of bond-funded projects that have tackled everything from regional parks to small pocket parks across the city.

Residents who typically recreate at Madsen Park are urged to consider a few other parks in the area while it's closed. Those include:

• Cottonwood Park, 1580 W. North Star Drive.
• Jackson Park, 481 N. Grant Street.
• Pioneer Park, 350 S. 300 West (once it opens on Nov. 13).
• Sherwood Park, 1400 W. 400 South.

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