and South Salt Lake commissioned a Transportation Alternatives Study to examine transit possibilities on the Sugar House Branch of the old Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW). The study determined that a trolley running along a pre-existing rail line was the preferred alternative. In May 2009, Mayor Ralph Becker stated that the project could be complete by 2012, will cost $40 million to $50 million, and that he hopes it is the beginning of a new streetcar system across the city. The S Line (formerly known as Sugar House Streetcar) began service on December 8, 2013 as planned, and an extension of the line north along 1100 East to Westminster College has been approved. In September 2007, the owner of the Granite Block development on the corner of 1100 East and 2100 South, the site of many independent shops, announced plans to redevelop the area. In early 2008 the buildings on the eastern half of Granite Block were demolished in preparation for construction; developer Craig Mecham claimed that the buildings were "not safe" due to their age. As a replacement, Mecham constructed a six-story building with apartments and ground-level retail/restaurants. Many residents and business owners in the area disapproved of the plans for fear that redevelopment would prevent local businesses from thriving and that big business and chain stores would dominate on and off the court. For several years a fenced-off demolition site resulted in a scar-like crater and source of controversy in the neighborhood. The Great Recession stalled the project. On December 1, 2010, developer Craig Mecham submitted an overhauled development plan for what had come to be derisively called the "Sugar Hole", eliminating the originally planned office space and replacing the condos with apartments. The street-level retail would remain as originally proposed. Funding for the project was finally secured in 2011 and the project was completed in 2013. Notable people Jackie Biskupski (born 1966), mayor of Salt Lake City Jared Goldberg (born 1991), Olympic skier Logan Tom (born 1981), Olympic volleyball player References External links Sugar House Community Council - Website of the Sugar House Community Council. Neighborhoods in Salt Lake City Populated places established in 1853