Downtown Achievement winners named

Three organizations and one family have been named winners of the Downtown Achievement Award, to be presented July 20 by the Downtown Alliance.

Recipients are the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Bike Squad, City Creek Reserve Inc. and Property Reserve Inc. for 111 Main, and Gail Miller and the Miller family.

The awards will be presented at the alliance’s annual “State of Downtown” meeting July 20 at the Black Box at the George S. and Delores Dore Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City. The meeting also will feature the release of the annual Economic Benchmark Report. Compiled in partnership with CBRE, the report evaluates the state of downtown’s economy by evaluation development, employment, office leases, residential, hospitality, retail, culture, transportation and quality of life.

{mprestriction ids="1,3"}The Bike Squad was awarded for its efforts in the Pioneer Park and Rio Grande area, one of downtown’s most challenged neighborhoods. “The bike squads are an integral part of the community and our outreach to vulnerable populations,” said Capt. Ty Farillas, Special Operations Division commander for the Salt Lake City Police Department. “They work tirelessly to ensure public safety for everyone who lives, works or visits Salt Lake City.”

The 111 Main project, spearheaded by City Creek Reserve and Property Reserve, has not only dramatically changed the city’s skyline, but has brought a newfound revitalization to Main Street as well, the alliance said.

“City Creek Reserve’s decision to build 111 Main reflects our continuing commitment to downtown Salt Lake City,” said Matt Baldwin, director of real estate development for City Creek Reserve. “That commitment is also evident in our cooperation with Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency to simultaneously design and build 111 alongside the new Eccles Theater, a public/private joint-venture in the best sense of that term. With its unique hat-truss design, spectacular lobby, efficient floor plates, and leading-edge technology, 111 sets a new standard for professional office space.”

Gail Miller and the Miller family have made two major announcements during the past year that will have an impact on downtown Salt Lake City, the alliance said. One is a $125 million a renovation to Vivint Smart Home Arena, and the other is transferring ownership of the Utah Jazz to a legacy trust.

“As a family business and a vibrant company, we have always been committed to the downtown area, to doing things the right way and working to achieve our mission of enriching lives and giving back,” said Gail Miller.{/mprestriction}