NEWS

BY AIMEE L. COOK comments@cityweekly.net

Draper City Park is now an inclusive place for all, thanks to parents and city council members who advocated for an important project to install an all-abilities playground. Renovations to the park cost upward of $1.6 million and include state-of-the-art inclusive play equipment. After a few delays due to material shortages, the new playground opened to the public in October.

“We are trying to be progressive, and we recognized that play is important for all children,” said Rhett Ogden, Draper City Parks and Recreation director. “We wanted everyone to be able to play together.”

Ogden noted the unique design of the park’s new merry-go-round. Unlike traditional models—which spin riders on a open platform—Draper City Park’s playground features the Ability Whirl ride, designed by a company in England, that can accommodate multiple wheelchairs.

“After speaking with parents, we realized the [traditional] version of a merrygo-round wasn’t really what they needed,” Ogden said. “Even though the cost was higher, we ordered it, and it is a really neat feature.”

Inclusive playgrounds are designed to be fun for all, regardless of physical ability levels. This is accomplished by providing a variety of activities that can be enjoyed by all, as well as making sure the equipment is accessible.

This means the playground does not have isolated areas of the park designated for children with disabilities. Instead, the new playground at Draper City Park is universal, a great example of how inclusion can benefit everyone.

Other unique features of the Draper playground include its ramped layout, providing inclusive access to multiple levels of the play structure. Planners say the design allows for users of wheelchairs and other mobility devices to access 90% of the overall playground.

Michael Cookson said it has always been hard to find social environments for his son Ethan, a 22-year-old with multiple disabilities. But after speaking to the Draper City Council about his experience patronizing Orem’s All Together Playground—a similar, all-abilities facility—he found a receptive audience interested in pursuing an inclusive project.

“I was able to give a lot of feedback,” Cookson said. “I don’t think that people realize that public officials at their local level are eager to solve problems for the citizens.”

Park equipment was created by Pennsylvania company PlayWorld and includes materials that cater to sensory play and assistive-hearing devices, basket swings, a zip line and spinning features with accessible seating and other elements designed for a broad spectrum of users.

The playground is covered in rubber surfacing that is ADA compliant and features Utah’s first Quito Climber—a freestanding net climber with a transfer station for those with mobility limitations.

The Quito Climber has three levels for climbing and promotes balance and exploration. In addition, the park is now home to the tallest playground slide in Utah—at 30 feet tall—and has 12 new swings, including several for children with disabilities.

The all-inclusive playground at Draper City Park is an example of what can be accomplished when people come together to advocate for change. Children deserve the opportunity to play and have fun, and this playground ensures that all children will be able to do just that. CW

DRAPER CITY

Near the southern terminus of the Trax Blue Line

Adventure Playground in Logan Veteran’s Memorial Park in West Jordan All Together Playground in Orem Chloe Sunshine Playground in Syracuse Thunder Junction in St. George

BY AIMEE L. COOK comments@cityweekly.net

It’s the end of an era for Salt Lake City and the Kanell family who, for more than a century, have owned and operated businesses within a one-block radius of 700 South and 300 West.

Since 1918, the family has run a grocery, a TV and appliance store and, most recently, a custom furniture shop located at 711 S. 300 West. But at the end of this year, Kanell’s Furniture Source—a fixture downtown—will close for good and be missed by many. “When I told my dad it was time to close—that I was running out of ideas— he said ‘Hell, yeah! Let’s get outta here!’” said Kim Nielsen, who owns and manages the store with her father, 95-year-old Plato Kanell. “I was so relieved. Come to find out, he was hanging in here so long for me, hoping to provide a retirement for me.”

Plato Kanell—a veteran and son of original business owners and Greek immigrants George and Angelina Kanell— weathered his share of economic ups and downs. As his family watched downtown Salt Lake City grow and change, he said, Kanell’s Furniture Source had to change to keep pace.

But through all the years, the store and Kanell have maintained a reputation of a friendly staff and excellent service. Nielsen took over management from her sister in 2008. At the time, the store was known as $99 Furniture Outlet.

“I was so happy when we rebranded in 2013 and went back to Kanell’s Furniture Source,” she said.

Until the doors officially close, Kanell and Nielsen plan to continue showing up and happily attend to their customers—and a few unsheltered neighbors who often visit. The location is home to the Kanell family in more ways than one, as some family members lived in the back of the building for a time, adding to the mixed emotions of moving on.

Custom-made furniture was Kanell’s niche over the years: Pick your style, size, fabric and color, and Kanell’s would create it.

Readers may also have heard of Plato’s Pillows—a frameless, plush seat comparable to a bean bag—or the original banana chair. The J-shaped, pillowed seat has been around since the 1960s, and although he cannot officially prove it, Plato Kanell is certain he invented the “Swing Low” banana-style chair many moons ago.

Nielsen said it’s been difficult maintaining the store in recent years. In 2017, the building was sold to Western States Nonprofit Housing, which Nielsen said brought some financial relief while allowing the store to continue to occupy its location. But sales, she said, have not been enough to keep the doors open.

“The furniture business has changed so much, and Amazon has changed the world,” Nielsen said. “When my dad got sick, we could no longer take his retirement and reinvest it back into the store.”

Nielsen added, “It’s time for someone else to take over. For the longest time, I would say, ‘My dad keeps the store alive, and the store keeps my dad alive.’ We would do what we could do.”

The furniture store and the Kanell family will be missed by the Salt Lake community. Closing is bittersweet, but its legacy will live on in the home furnishings of its clientele and the many fond memories of those who shopped there. CW

BY AIMEE L. COOK comments@cityweekly.net

Anew, exclusive social club has arrived in downtown Salt Lake City. Boasting multiple restaurants and bars, a fitness center and a rooftop pool, Edison House is billed as a place to unwind after a long day or to meet up with friends for a night out.

Club member Michelle Kennedy, general manager of Next Phase Media, said she heard about Edison House from a friend. The more she looked into it, the more it felt like something she’d been looking for in Salt Lake City.

“As an adult, it is easy to stay in a routine or within a specific community that you’ve already built. This is a really fun and easy way to meet new people,” Kennedy said. “I am excited to connect with like-minded people, in terms of being curious, ambitious, kind and open.”

Founded by two brothers native to Utah—Charlie Cardon and George CardonBystry— Edison House is shaping up to be the place to be seen. And if the pandemic taught us anything, most people—especially younger generations—need real social interaction beyond Zoom and ostensibly “social” media.

But Edison House is more than just a great nightspot. It’s also ideal for networking and connecting with other professionals. Interacting with three-dimensional human beings and attending unique events and mixers is built into the membership dues, which range in price from $175 to $225 a month with an initial $500 onboarding fee and the option to add a life partner at a reduced rate.

Another club member, attorney LaShel Shaw, said she exchanged emails with the head of membership and had several in-person conversations with the Edison House team before joining.

“The sense I got from my membership interview process is that Edison House is trying to curate a diverse membership, but one that is universally community-minded and intellectually curious,” Shaw said. “I’m most excited for the community gathering spaces and member programming events.”

Amenity spaces at the Edison House will be second to none. Private dining areas are perfect for hosting intimate gatherings or large group celebration. The fitness center is complete with the latest workout machines and modern locker rooms. And the rooftop pool with an adjacent bar area are ideal places to unwind.

How about some private karaoke among friends? Or try your hand in the billiard room? With more than 30,000 square feet to wander about, being an adult has not been this fun since Prohibition ended.

“Salt Lake has been growing exponentially and diversifying in the past five-to-10 years, but lifestyle offerings have been slow to keep the pace,” said Lauren Boyack, head of membership for Edison House. “The time is really right for Salt Lake. The fact that demand exceeds our capacity is a testament to how hungry Salt Lake is for a place like this.”

Boyack said she and her team have made a point to meet with every person offered a membership to the club.

“I think when you are creating a closedloop environment, such as a members-only club, it is really important to understand why everyone is here,” she said.

The population of Salt Lake City was just over 200,000 in 2021 and rapid construction of new housing is bringing more and more residents into the city center. For the past several years, Utah has ranked high as a top state for economic growth. Add to that the state’s culture, outdoor lifestyle and housing market, and you have a booming and attractive town. Newcomers to Salt Lake can add the Edison House to their list of places to meet people.

Dee Brewer, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, said his team is excited for the opening of Edison House and how it adds to the vibrancy of downtown as a place where people live, work and play.

“It will be another downtown gathering place and an additional social amenity adjacent to hundreds of arts and entertainment offerings each year,” Brewer said. “The downtown residential population will double in the next 30 months. Social amenities like Edison House are part of the attraction for living downtown. Edison House will add to the dynamism of our urban core.”

The food and beverage program at Edison House is spearheaded by Buzz Willey, formerly chef of the now-closed Pallet bistro in Salt Lake City.

Edison House patrons may recognize menu items that were Pallet fan favorites, such as Willey’s gnocchi and housemade pasta dishes.

With two restaurants—Society, a casual fine dining restaurant, and Atrium, a casual bar and lounge—Willey and his team have been taste-testing and developing a menu to suit all palates. While the final menu is yet to be solidified, look for some high-end fish dishes, tostadas and sticky buns with pork belly and kimchi.

“My style has been ‘prep heavy and plate simple’—very easy for the guests to understand what the dishes are, with some hidden techniques,” Willey said. “Fine ingredients, high-level quality and as much local [ingredients as] I can get. We are really going to pay attention to the details on the plate and gain the trust of our guests. I am really excited to start working in downtown again.”

At the time of print, Edison House construction is nearing completion, with the social club slated to open in the coming weeks. But a firm launch date had not been set as the club works through its liquor licensing. CW