Downtown Salt Lake City isn’t just recovering from the pandemic. It is soaring beyond that. New analysis of cellphone data shows more people are visiting SLC than any of the 62 U.S. and Canadian cities studied — by a long shot.
A new study says visits to Utah’s capital are 155% above pre-COVID levels. Experts credit a soaring economy and surging population for the rebound — along with some of the area’s quirks.
That’s made the return to downtown easier for some, Chapple said, compared to areas more reliant on transit. Those sectors have tended to retain patterns of working from home even as the pandemic eases, leaving many other downtowns quieter during the week. In contrast, the strong presence in Salt Lake City of manufacturing, construction and hospitality jobs has brought more employees back to the workplace, boosting regular downtown visits.
In terms of visitors coming back, the real turning point for downtown seems to have come between late summer and early fall of 2021, according to the study. After dipping below 50% of spring 2019 visitation levels with the pandemic’s onset, it gained visitors steadily through late 2020 but then hovered between 75% to 90% through August 2021.
Utah Jazz fans fill Vivint Arena during the playoffs in 2021. Such sporting events are helping Salt Lake City's downtown bounce back. A couple enjoy a drink at a sidewalk cafe on the open streets portion of Salt Lake City Main Street on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022. Restaurants have bounced back since the bleak days of the pandemic but still struggle with staffing and supply issues.
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