This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If you build a coffee shop, the restaurants, bars and a neighborhood market will come.
That's the story in Salt Lake City's Central Ninth neighborhood after Blue Copper Coffee — formerly No Brow — moved in.
The shop, which already had a devoted following, became a natural gathering spot for those living in the neighborhood's historic bungalows and multifamily apartments.
Soon, others who wanted to open a restaurant and bar started coming.
"They saw the potential in the neighborhood and said, 'We want to be there, too,' " said Jesse Hulse, co-owner of Atlas Architects. The small firm shares a building with Blue Copper and was the developer of the new Central Ninth Market.
The market building on 900 South — between West Temple and 200 West — is Salt Lake City's newest urban food and dining spot, home to five food-related businesses, including Jade Market, Laziz Kitchen (Middle Eastern), Meditrina (small plates and wine bar), Water Witch Bar and Blue Copper Coffee. The market also is home to Troubadour Salon, Local First Utah and Atlas Architects.
Not part of the Market building — but still new to the neighborhood — is Blended Table, a catering company that recently upgraded an old building at 925 S. Jefferson St. (140 West) into a commercial kitchen and event space. Blended Table also rents commercial kitchen space to Bubble and Brown Bakery and Salsa Del Diablo, which — in a bit of neighborhood karma — sells its products inside the Jade Market across the street.
These additions add vibrancy to the three longtime restaurants on 900 South between 200 and 300 West: Vertical Diner (formerly Sage's Café), Taqueria Lolita and Juanita's Tacos.
When Hulse and business partner Jason Foster were planning the Central Ninth Market, they knew the cornerstone had to be a neighborhood grocery store, a contrast to the big-box stores and large grocers in other parts of the city. The architects contacted Mary Gordon, owner of The Jade Market at 353 W. 200 South. The Central Ninth store is her second location, close enough to her original to create economies of scale, but not so close their customer base overlaps.
"It's a great location for people who want to live close to downtown; it's close to TRAX and the freeway," she said. "I knew the area had potential, and it will be great to watch the neighborhood grow up around us."
Two more developments already are being planned. A multilevel housing unit, with condominiums, town homes and lofts, is planned for the northeast corner of 900 South and 200 West, where Wasatch Community Gardens previously hosted a plot. Plans include a restaurant on the street level with patio seating, said Derek Allen with the real estate development firm LandForge.
On the northwest corner, where there's an empty parking lot, Spy Hop Productions will construct a building.
"The district is coming alive," said Sean Neves, co-owner of Water Witch, who said he and his two partners "could see the momentum of the neighborhood" and wanted to be part of it.
"It has a grittiness and a historical working-class vibe that feels right for our concept," he said.
While still in its infancy, Central Ninth is being compared to Salt Lake City's popular 9th and 9th or 15th and 15th business districts.
But Central Ninth is just steps away from the 900 South TRAX Station, a public transportation option that those other neighborhoods lack. It allows guests to eat, drink and shop on their way to and from downtown, whether they're headed out of the city after work, or into the city for a Jazz or Bees game, said Neves.
While the development may seem new, the seeds for the project were planted in 1987 when the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency created the Central Ninth RDA project area. The hope always was to transform the neighborhood into an area where residential and commercial businesses could coexist and thrive, said RDA senior project manager Kort Utley.
"What neighborhood doesn't want this? It's got a bar, a coffee shop, restaurants. It's all right here," Utley said, noting that everyone involved — from residents to development partners to the RDA — hoped "to spur this type of activity and redevelopment."
Utley said the development is part of a larger plan to create a 900 South corridor, a thriving thoroughfare of commerce, culture and community. The corridor would have several distinct neighborhood commercial districts at 900 East, Liberty Park (500 East), State South (State Street), Ninth Central (200 West), the Granary (500 West) and 900 West.
Jennifer Gilroy moved her already-established small-plates restaurant, Meditrina, to Central Ninth. "I moved for many reasons, but the biggest one was for synergy," she said. "I'm thrilled to be in the company of the other businesses. Also, the money the RDA has pledged to the area promises amazing things to come."
Central Ninth is a little slice of heaven personally and professionally for Kristen Lavelett, executive director of Local First Utah, a nonprofit organization that helps promote local, independently owned businesses throughout Utah.
"It's a destination that is entirely locally owned business," she said. "I can walk out the front door of my office, get a cup of coffee, have lunch at Laziz or a snack at Jade. It's the fruition of what Local First hopes to see in every neighborhood throughout Salt Lake City and the state."
What you'll find at Central Ninth
Salt Lake City's new Central Ninth Market — 900 South between West Temple and 200 West — has been infused with several food-related businesses, including:
Blue Copper Coffee and Roasting • Formerly No Brow Coffee, this coffee shop specialize in small-batch, single-origin coffees. The Roastery is around the corner at 917 S. 200 West, giving the neighborhood a lovely coffee aroma.
Jade Market • Locally owned market specializes in groceries and many Utah-made food products.
Laziz Kitchen • Middle Eastern café from the same people who sell Laziz hummus at the Downtown Farmers Market.
Meditrina • This small-plates restaurant and wine bar relocated to the Central Ninth to be a part of the neighborhood.
Water Witch • A small, artsy bar, which has fast become the neighborhood's new watering hole.
Other tenants
Atlas Architects • This boutique firm shares a building with Blue Copper Coffee and was the developer for the Central Ninth Market building.
Local First Utah • A nonprofit group that helps promote local, independently owned businesses throughout Utah.
Troubadour Salon • Stylish salon that offers men's and women's haircuts, color services, makeup and special-occasion styles.