Before the Southeast Asian Market came along, this building was home to the O.P. Skaggs market. It was originally built in 1941 and sat neglected for decades, which showed in its stucco front facade remodel that was completed sometime within the last 30 years.

This infill development has gone forward with the priority of reviving the existing building while creating a partial upper level. With its important centralized location, the Milk Block’s intention is to breathe new life into this important neighborhood commercial node by providing retail and restaurant opportunities in addition to the new Wasatch Cooperative Food Market. Our hope is to become a community anchor connecting the West and East corridor along Harvey Milk Boulevard (900 south).

Some of the building’s front facade and original structure will be maintained and restored. The rear of the building will be demolished in order to allow for a rebuild that will house commercial space on the main floor and additional office units on the second floor. This will reduce the existing building footprint, alleviating congestion at the rear of the building along Grace Court allowing all service vehicles to operate on our private property. It will also provide some breathing room for neighboring residents as it will set the building back away from the South.

We believe there’s integrity in the preservation of older buildings and in salvaging certain design components as this adds character to our city’s landscape. Rather than maximizing usable square footage, this project’s focus is on restoring the original brick front facade where possible, and maintaining the aspects that prove to be architecturally interesting. This includes the art deco corner marquee, the original bow trusses, and interior exposed brick.