An alternative plan to save the WVC Swap Meet
Oct 08, 2024 11:31AM ● By Tom Haraldsen
Hundreds of vendors sell their goods at the swap meet each weekend, which has become a tradition in West Valley City since 1949. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
If Juan Bastidas had his way, the site of the Redwood Drive In Theatre would become the permanent home of one the largest swap meets in the country. He has a great plan to convert the current swap meet site into something much more grand. And he thinks those who display their goods and services each week would go along with the idea.
Bastidas was at the Sept. 17 West Valley City council meeting when a rezoning request was approved, paving the way for demolition of the drive-in and redevelopment by Edge Homes into a new neighborhood for 300 housing units, mostly condos and townhomes. (See separate story in this edition.)
“It’s important to me to keep this swap meet, because it’s extra income to support my family,” he said. “I’ve been coming here for 26 years. I’ve seen as many as 600 vendors here on certain weekends. The swap meet has helped keep my kids busy. At one time or another, they’ve all worked here.”
He also says the meet is a bonus for buyers “because they can find economic prices here, much cheaper than in the mall because of lower overhead and the cost to stores for hiring employees. They can buy new things or used things—find just what they need. We have many tourists who come here, from Colorado or Wyoming, spending their money here in West Valley. That should be important to the city leaders.”
He feels lucky because he has another job during the week to help with his expenses, but he says many others depend solely on the weekend swap meet for their income.
“I fear that many vendors will go into bankruptcy,” he said. “They have mortgages, and if they don’t have that extra income, I don’t know what they’ll do. I understand that West Valley is growing and we need more houses, but we also need more businesses. Why do they want to take this big place—26 acres—and make it all housing? It might be nice for them to make 300 families happy, but they’re going to cause hundreds more to be out of work and bankrupt. It doesn’t make sense, and it’s not fair.”
Bastidas says the property could be reworked into an even larger swap meet space, with vendors renting or leasing small spaces on a permanent basis. He points out that the north section of the theater property, which is not used for the meet, could provide space for hundreds of vendors who would not only provide the city with rental money but also with tax revenue.
Humberto Sanchez agrees. He has formed a nonprofit called the Redwood Road Chamber of Commerce, and he spoke at the Sept. 17 council meeting.
“We created this chamber due to the influx of hundreds of vendors that didn’t feel represented as people through the process here in West Valley City,” he said. “We’ve been working since June 4 when the application by Edge Homes was made to the Planning Commission.”
He said vendors have expressed the desire to purchase the property and indicated he has investors interested in helping do so.
“Visitors pay $1 to come to the meet,” Bastidas said. “We’ve had as many as 12,000 on a weekend. The city needs to see that and be aware of that. Redevelop this site, split it into spaces about two to three cars wide. Bring in food trucks for customers. I feel many vendors would join into a coop agreement to buy or lease their spaces. So much easier than tearing everything down and building houses, and it would mean more money for the city.” λ