January 2020 | Vol. 17 Iss. 01
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COTTON BOTTOM INN ON THE VERGE OF REFURBISHMENT By Zak Sonntag | z.sonntag@mycityjournals.com Editor’s note: this is part one in a two-part series about the Cotton Bottom Inn.
T
he City of Holladay is getting out of the bar business and selling the Cotton Bottom Inn, the historic tavern it purchased in 2014. Strange that it would find itself in the business to begin with. Odd, too, that it was sold for less than what the city originally paid, despite property values having increased drastically. But sometimes the bargain is between the lines. “We wanted to get the right type of development there, something that was right for our community. And when this proposal came along we decided it would provide a lot of added benefit and help us maintain qualities we want to foster in Holladay,” said outgoing Councilmember Steven Gunn. The new owners, the Bar X Group, who own the local restaurants the Eating Establishment, Beer Bar and Bar X, intend to build a restaurant on the property while continuing to operate the iconic Cotton Bottom Inn, which opened its doors in 1966. “To me it’s smart to keep a historic place like that because once it’s gone it’s gone forever. I like it better than a brand new restaurant,” said Jeff Barnard, co-owner of the project. “We don’t want to trample on that history, but the business needs to evolve and move forward. We’re going to have a new facility that will focus on selling more food, a 3,000-square-foot restaurant that can accommodate 150 people. But we wanted to keep the existing Cotton Bottom there because people love the garlic burgers.” The sale has stirred concern among some residents who worry transferring the land to private owners could result in unwanted future development in an area adored for its open space
The historic, no-frills tavern to have new owners. (Zak Sonntag/City Journals)
and scenic riverside beauty. “I’m concerned with what this might mean for the wildlife in this area. We’ve got beautiful ducks, rabbits, birds — it’s like natural geographic right there on the river. If this new restaurant wants to put a patio on the river that means the trees will be gone and this neighborhood will no longer be quiet,” said Jill Paton, a neighbor speaking at the public hearing.
City officials explained the project was cautiously chosen, and told residents the Bar X proposal offered the city the best option to offload the property in a way that helped keep the aesthetic of the Knudsen Park area. “In a perfect world we’d have unlimited resources. We’d have as much open space as we’d like. But I think we’ve been pretty thoughtful about that issue in our process,” CouncilmemContinued page 8
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