🧗 Climbing gym drama

The Salt Lake City A’s?

The Oakland A’s baseball team is considering Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City as a temporary home. The team is moving from Oakland, California to Las Vegas, Nevada after the 2024 season, but their new stadium will not be completed until 2028. Team officials are touring several ballparks that could host the team before it can move into its permanent home. The Salt Lake Bees currently play in Smith’s Ballpark but will be moving to a new facility in Daybreak after the 2024 season. [ABC4]

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Salt Lake City is caught in a clash between The Front Climbing Club and USA Climbing as it attempts to mediate a dispute over a proposed climbing gym headquarters. The city, having initially approved a $2 million loan for expansion at The Front, is now withholding it due to the gym's opposition to a deal with USA Climbing. Dustin Buckthal, owner of The Front, expressed fears about the impact of a publicly accessible training center near his gym. The city is urging both parties to find a cooperative solution before proceeding with the loan for The Front's expansion.

[Salt Lake Tribune]

• Related: Ground Rules for a More Inclusive Climbing Gym [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

Cotopaxi’s Mixed Bag

The Salt Lake City-based outdoor retailer recently laid off 22 of its employees, despite strong growth in the past year. A company spokesperson said Cotopaxi is restructuring in order to focus on top priorities, adding that it’s optimistic about continued growth in 2024. [Salt Lake City Tribune]

• ➡️ Cotopaxi became a sustaining sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival in 2024.

Point in Time Count

This weekend is the Point in Time Count, our annual census of unsheltered Americans. The count is taken three mornings in a row, between 4-6 a.m., county by county across the entire nation. So what does this data tell us about the realities of homelessness across Salt Lake County? And can we use it to bust some common myths? [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

What We Get Wrong About Homelessness in Salt Lake

This weekend, volunteers across Salt Lake County will participate in the Point-in-Time Count, an annual census of unsheltered Utahns. So what can this data tell us about who is experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake County? Rob Wesemann, Salt Lake County’s Point-in-Time Count lead, joins host Ali Vallarta to bust some common myths about unsheltered Salt Lakers.