Park Ivy’s failure was just a hint of things to come. After a brief boom in the economy, the district is beginning to lose its flair. While businesses such as Cahoots — a novelty and gift shop and tanning salon — remain unfazed by the current transformation, the majority are wary of defeat. Corporate know-how is trumping off-beat innovation, and the resulting fade in character highlights a troublesome trend — the decentralization of independent art.

The most notable change is the recent absence of Orion’s Music, a shop whose brief run unfolded in the shadow of the late, great Salt City CDs. The legendary house of indie pleasure relocated to Indianapolis in order to provide owner Rick Zeigler’s son with a better education. Now loyal customers will have to travel approximately 1,520 miles to reach Zeigler’s new musical mecca, Indy CD and Vinyl — or they could simply visit its successor just a quick drive from the original, type-casted locale.

Store owner Andy Fletcher initially purchased the space at 9th and 9th in order to preserve the area’s alternative edge and though he fought to stick around, financial woes kept his dream from materializing. Orion’s move to Sugar House should provide it with an opportunity to shape a distinct identity, building a fresh clientele disinclined to draw comparisons with the glory days of yesteryear.

However, Orion’s potential success comes with a high price. Sure, you can still pick up the latest release by Air or special-order a rare David Bowie EP. You can also still take in a foreign film at a theater not associated with the suffix “plex.” Yet these pursuits will require a couple of trips across town. Not only is the extra mileage inconvenient, it’s stretching the fibers of a tight-knit community.

When the Salt Lake Film Society opened six new screens in downtown’s Broadway Centre in November 2002, the deal’s effect on 9th and 9th’s Tower Theatre raised legitimate concerns. Would people bypass the decaying original for a sleek new model? If so, what would it take to revitalize the Tower’s appeal?

Brooke Harper, executive director for the Salt Lake Film Society, is torn between a desire to preserve tradition and a need to widely showcase independent film. “We’re playing more film overall, but we’re playing more at the Broadway due to its higher screen ratio,” Harper says. The jump in numbers almost overrides sentimental attachment, but the organization isn’t ready to turn its back on history. Unfortunately, greed further complicates the battle. Next January marks the end of the Tower’s lease — and the possible end of an era.

Although the theater has encountered obstacles in the past — it overcame temporary closure in the 1980s and again in the late ’90s, only to reopen as a stronger, revitalized art-house force — funds are simply running out.

“I think that what the business owners want and what the landlords want are two different things,” Harper says. “We would really love to see the Tower stay at 9th and 9th, but we don’t own the building and that creates limits to how much we can do.” If both sides don’t come to an agreement, the legendary art house and its impressive video collection will be forced to relocate. In its wake would stand another abandoned storefront joining Park Ivy, Orion’s, Chameleon Artwear and Interior Motives in a string of lost legacies.

Tom Cordova, owner of Great Harvest Bread Company, isn’t exactly surprised by the changing climate. “When we first moved here, we were a little ahead of the curve in terms of trend and demographics,” he says, noting how the area was decidedly less popular in 1989. Cordova says that 1100 East was the cutoff point for wealthier residents. Anything below the street risked decreased customer traffic. However, over time, he has witnessed younger and more affluent couples moving to homes as far away as 500 East.

Six years ago, few would have predicted that a Starbucks could possibly occupy the same block as Mutual Beauty Supply.

The old, stately emporium had been specializing in pomades and cold cream for as long as anyone could recall. Yet the corporate kings of coffee managed to secure a corner spot, and though critics predicted imminent closure, business is booming. “Five years ago, there was a huge turnover of property,” Cordova says. As a result, rent has skyrocketed.

Harper notes that many directly affected by the inflation are pointing fingers at one particular landlord. “The rent in Dan Colangelo’s space is almost double that of those located in Sugar House or downtown,” she says. Even Colangelo, also owner of Contender Bicycle, however, is upset about the situation, blaming the city for neglecting the district’s needs.
The only businesses that can afford such exurbanite prices are chain-store operations such as Starbucks and Great Clips. The management of Guru’s, a corporately owned nonprofit organization, made the mistake of assuming the power and privilege of those large entities. The attractive eatery is currently affixed with an “Amended Notice of Seizure,” dated Jan. 23, 2004. The restaurant, confiscated by the government for nonpayment of taxes and interest due, has plans to reopen under new management, but its future remains precarious.

“Guru’s was doomed from the get-go,” Cordova says. “It was out to conquer the world right off the bat. It spent a lot of money right out of the gate, and it’s going to be hard to make that up.”

Of course, not everyone is falling apart. “Our business is doing very well,” Cahoots’ employee Brandon Oyler says. “We haven’t been affected at all.” Wasabi Sushi is also riding a wave of enduring success. The popular restaurant, once relegated to a cramped corner in an alley off of 900 South, has collected enough funds to move to a roomier space less than a block from the original location. Even the Coffee Garden, which has been struggling with the state over smoking ordinances, remains a favorite spot for superior lattés, people-watching and general wasting-of-time.

There is hope for rejuvenation, but it will take more than continued patronage to independent establishments now scattered about town. Word on the street says that time has come for new legislation — are you ready for a revolution?

jamie@red-mag.com