Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[Old&New]

March 31, 2012

The first study came back saying a film and media center, hooked up with Utah Theatre, is feasible in downtown Salt Lake City...

The best way of doing that is to do the architectural study and a second report looking at creating an independent film archive at the center, said Erin Litvack, the county's community services director who oversees the Center for the Arts that would include the facility. The county and coalition also would split the archival study's $150,000 price tag.

Litvack said the initial feasibility study determined the three nonprofits could work together and that the center would provide services not available now to the public.

Consolidating the nonprofits' operations with the Utah Theater would benefit both, said Center for the Arts Director Phil Jordan. Filmmaking classes, independent film showings, a half dozen small theaters and other digital media endeavors would attract people to the facility seven days a week, he said, and the theater's 800 seats would be helpful for popular events.

The study also determined the film center would supplement arts curriculum in area schools, Litvack said, and would fit with state economic development efforts built around "cluster industries," in this case film.

Also being explored, she added, are prospects of making the center a site for Sundance Film Festival showings and a repository of its independent projects.
Sundance Institute spokesman Elizabeth Latenser applauded the coalition for its efforts to "champion independent film and revitalize downtown Salt Lake City." The institute, she added, is open to further talks on the possibility of an archive at the center.

https://archive.sltrib.com/article.p...73&itype=CMSID


Could also simultaneously be a film museum

[Old&New]

Pete Ashdown: Salt Lake City deserves a grand movie theater



By Pete Ashdown | Special thanks to The Salt Lake Tribune

My childhood memories of seeing movies like "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" for the first time are inextricable from the experience of watching them in the grand movie theaters that once called Salt Lake City home.
The Centre Theater on State Street was torn down in 1989 for an office tower and the multiplex currently occupied by the Salt Lake Film Society. The Villa Theater was repurposed into a rug gallery in 2003. The Regency Theater, the last 70mm projection house in the city, was leveled in the early 90s. I saw a rereleased "Lawrence of Arabia” on that screen before it closed, and having a rapt community in the audience around me was nothing short of transformative.
Hidden in the middle of downtown is our last remaining grand movie theater. I would wager that the majority of the city either doesn’t remember it or even know of its existence. Formerly known as Pantages, the Utah Theater is a shadow of its former glory. A deal was brokered in 2008 by the late Vasilios Priskos, wherein the theater was sold to Salt Lake City, specifically for rehabilitation as a grand movie theater.

Salt Lake County executed a study, one that included architectural and financial plans, that would have saved this landmark and provided a permanent home for three non-profits: Utah Film Center, Salt Lake Film Society and Spy Hop. As with many restoration projects in Utah, including our beloved city building in Washington Square and the Utah State Capitol, costly seismic upgrading is required to meet current standards.
Sadly, plans for the Utah Theater languished under a lack of city and county leadership. Instead, the Eccles theater charged forward without a citizen vote while demolishing three architectural treasures on Main Street in the process.
Currently, the City Council, acting as the board of the Redevelopment Agency is pretending to wring its hands. They claim to be agonizing over loss of the Utah Theater, but they lack any and all courage to step up and define a plan to save it.
In spite of no parking and a $180 million cost to construct the Eccles Theater, expense and lack of parking is the excuse for not saving the Utah Theater. Their “solution” involves building yet another office tower [or residential] with scraps of the theater as a tomb for what was once there.
The RDA staff insists we have enough theaters in town, missing the point entirely that the Utah Theater is not a typical theater, and we have no grand movie theaters. I am the first to applaud movies found streaming online, but you can’t have a communal event in front of a television.

Salt Lake City needs a grand movie theater. It demands one. Our film industry, our film festivals, our arts, our culture, our children. They all demand what other cities have had for decades. Moreover, Tacoma and Minneapolis have seen fit to restore their Pantages theaters, thus providing a template for bringing our own back to life.
The cost is not insubstantial, but it’s also not as big as many other successful city projects over the past two decades. Saving this icon of movies and film is possible if there is a will to do it, and I know we as a city and state possess that will. Look no further than the fact that we host the top film festival in the country, Sundance.
Please let the City Council know of your support to restore and save the Utah Theater. Please support mayoral candidates who understand the long-term benefits of supporting and preserving our arts and culture.

Pete Ashdown is the president and founder of the internet service provider XMission, which has headquartered in downtown Salt Lake City since 1993. For more information, go to savetheutahtheater.org .

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/comme...own-salt-lake/

Here's the message I sent to the City Council through their facebook page:

Please please save the Utah/Pantages Theater as a film center, another anchor in the cultural arts district in downtown, perhaps a part-time film museum as well, by investing whatever means necessary to retrofit and restore it, even if it ends up being 70+ million to do so. It would solidify Utahs privilege of hosting Sundance. We'd be among the few cities to have a Pantages theater of this style (there are only two others left: Tacoma and Minneapolis, Salt Lake's being the largest and most ornate of the three. It would not only be something to brag about (have pride in), but it would lend additional credibility to Utah being a top movie-making hub like Hollywood or Atlanta. It's difficult to measure the actual ROI in this type of investment, but I argue it would be far more reaching than most might realize or can be measured. If we could truly measure the ROI, I believe even the most conservative Council member would see restoration as a no-brainer. Please don't make history history. They don't build theaters like this anymore. It would be better in the long-run to let the theater sit shuttered for another decade than demolish it, giving it no chance. Please work hard to secure whatever tax credits, incentives, grants, subsidies, whatever is possible, be creative, and don't hesitate to invest public funds (we are behind you!!) to save this jewel and community asset.

[Always Sunny in SLC]

It may need to be put on the ballot next year, but I would not hold my breathe that it passes. Old & New, I don’t think the county voters will be too excited to approve a tax hike when SL County is proposing one this year.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Always Sunny in SLC

It may need to be put on the ballot next year, but I would not hold my breathe that it passes. Old & New, I don’t think the county voters will be too excited to approve a tax hike when SL County is proposing one this year.

I think we can get more creative with funding mechanisms.

Delts145 probably understands this better than anyone on here: You can accomplish more with a "Yes, AND" than you can being a nay-sayer.

[Orlando]

i appreciate your passion Old & New, and your creative thinking on how to make it viable.

That being said, I still think it's a stretch to save it. I would like to see that new highrise built either on that lot or the Zions Bank lot.

[mattreedah]

Interesting to see what Tacoma did to raise money for their revamped Pantages:

A major feature of the renovation is new seating. The brand-new seats are upholstered in velvety gray-green brocade and edged in natural wood. Best of all, they come equipped with cup holders. A central isle with ornate, scarlet carpeting has been opened in the main space to enhance safety and convenience. Despite the addition of the center aisle, seating capacity was increased from 1169 to 1273. Community members interested in helping with the costs of the renovation can still purchase a seat sponsorship. You may name a seat for $1,000 (or $850 for two). Nameplates with an inscription of the donor’s choice will be engraved on a plaque fixed to the seat.

[Always Sunny in SLC]

Originally Posted by mattreedah

Interesting to see what Tacoma did to raise money for their revamped Pantages:

A major feature of the renovation is new seating. The brand-new seats are upholstered in velvety gray-green brocade and edged in natural wood. Best of all, they come equipped with cup holders. A central isle with ornate, scarlet carpeting has been opened in the main space to enhance safety and convenience. Despite the addition of the center aisle, seating capacity was increased from 1169 to 1273. Community members interested in helping with the costs of the renovation can still purchase a seat sponsorship. You may name a seat for $1,000 (or $850 for two). Nameplates with an inscription of the donor’s choice will be engraved on a plaque fixed to the seat.

I would be happy to keep the Pantages if the vast majority was paid by private donations, but otherwise I see it as poor use of such limited funds. I like creative funding solutions such as above, but that one who raise about 1% of what is needed.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by mattreedah

Interesting to see what Tacoma did to raise money for their revamped Pantages:

A major feature of the renovation is new seating. The brand-new seats are upholstered in velvety gray-green brocade and edged in natural wood. Best of all, they come equipped with cup holders. A central isle with ornate, scarlet carpeting has been opened in the main space to enhance safety and convenience. Despite the addition of the center aisle, seating capacity was increased from 1169 to 1273. Community members interested in helping with the costs of the renovation can still purchase a seat sponsorship. You may name a seat for $1,000 (or $850 for two). Nameplates with an inscription of the donor’s choice will be engraved on a plaque fixed to the seat.

Kingsbury Hall and I think some other theatres in SLC did that 20+ years ago. 1,273 seats at 1,000 per seat, only raises $1.273 million. Less if people sponsor seats in pairs. That's only about 1/60th of the cost to renovate the theatre, but every little bit helps.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Stenar

Kingsbury Hall and I think some other theatres in SLC did that 20+ years ago. 1,273 seats at 1,000 per seat, only raises $1.273 million. Less if people sponsor seats in pairs. That's only about 1/60th of the cost to renovate the theatre, but every little bit helps.

Perhaps if it's tied to Sundance we could approach Hollywood stars to sponsor seats and put their names on seat placards @ $5,000 per seat. Then invite the public to sponsor the remaining seats, also at $5,000 per seat (I would donate $5,000) so their names too can be among the stars, that would be $5,000 X 2,000 seats = $10,000,000. It could be Salt Lake City's version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

And friendly reminder:

Originally Posted by Utahn

I also feel like more time should be taken to consider the future of the Utah theater. With the State now saying that the theater may in fact be eligible for federal and state historic tax credits (previously the RDA had said it was not), that changes the equation. Pete Ashdown's (founder of Xmission) involvement is encouraging, and several council members are still on fence about what should be done with the site. Part of the reason that we don't see a larger constituency arguing to save it is because so few people know it exists, because very few people have been inside the building in recent years.

The possibility of restoring the Utah/Pantages theater is something to be supported and cheered for!



I would love to know more about this new information and which lawmakers are suggesting the theater could be eligible for federal and state historic tax credits. If anyone has information on this, please let us know!

[Utahn]

Hey Old&New

Some older Salt Lake Tribune articles from years ago talked about Sundance's Interest in the Utah Theater, to what extent I'm not sure though.

Originally Posted by Old&New

Perhaps if it's tied to Sundance we could approach Hollywood stars to sponsor seats and put their names on seat placards @ $5,000 per seat. Then invite the public to sponsor the remaining seats, also at $5,000 per seat (I would donate $5,000) so their names too can be among the stars, that would be $5,000 X 2,000 seats = $10,000,000. It could be Salt Lake City's version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

And friendly reminder:

I would love to know more about this new information and which lawmakers are suggesting the theater could be eligible for federal and state historic tax credits. If anyone has information on this, please let us know!

On this front, Building Salt Lake did a piece as well as the Salt Lake Tribune that you can track down, but here is the relevant piece to me.

David Amott, interim director of Preservation Utah, expressed regret that facts were being misrepresented in the current discussion.

An RDA staff report dated September 1, 2019 stated “The Property has not been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, nor the Salt Lake City Register of Historic Cultural Resources, due to the lack of overall historic integrity required for formal designation.”

Amott argued that the building would be eligible for register listing and tax credits.

He cited Roger Roper, head of the state’s historical preservation office (SHPO), who told Amott in an email that the theater was eligible for listing on the national register of historic places, which would open it up to federal tax credits.

“No one from the RDA or the potential developers have ever contacted us to explore the possibilities,” Roper wrote, according to the email read by Amott.

In terms of Councilmember support,

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/10/...er-supporters/

But council members continue to discuss ways the performance hall can be preserved, even after approving new talks last month with Hines and LaSalle on the skyscraper project.

"Is there still time to work things out instead of demolishing it and losing it?" Councilwoman Ana Valdemoros, whose district includes the theater, asked last week as the RDA board debated ways of funding the restoration."

When I listed to this month's RDA Board meeting, it seemed that Councilman Chris Wharton was also still undecided.

Hope this helps answer your questions!

[nushiof]

This would be so awesome.

https://kslsports.com/419762/is-salt...-announcement/

The Convention Center Hotel should be done by then, and hopefully the Block 67 development near Vivint too.

[taboubak]

Originally Posted by nushiof

This would be so awesome.

https://kslsports.com/419762/is-salt...-announcement/

The Convention Center Hotel should be done by then, and hopefully the Block 67 development near Vivint too.

Ya this is a done deal. The official announcement will come shortly, but it will be a really big event for Salt Lake City.

[delts145]

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game is coming to Salt Lake City as Utah Jazz franchise is awarded showcase event

https://www.deseret.com/2019/10/23/2...salt-lake-city

[delts145]

Originally Posted by nushiof

This would be so awesome.

https://kslsports.com/419762/is-salt...-announcement/

The Convention Center Hotel should be done by then, and hopefully the Block 67 development near Vivint too.

That will be so cool. Also Liberty Sky, the new airport, a ton of infill like The Paperbox, and hopefully a couple of Tower skeletons in the sky like The Kennsington. Very important to get the CCH and Phase I of Block 67 up and going for completion now!

[wrendog]

Awesome for SLC. The Twitterverse isn't super excited. Same ole boring complaints about SLC. LOL.

That said, SLC with their 2nd hosting before PDX, Sacramento, OKC or Memphis have even hosted their first. Even Miami has only hosted 1

[Merewether]

Interview by Downtown Alliance with HKS architects about the environmental focus of the proposed Kensington project ( the Carl’s Jr site). Timeline:in early design stage, construction anticipated 2021-2024
https://downtownslc.org/downtown-eve...salt-lake-city

[meman]

Has anyone out there noticed how shallow the excavation is for Liberty Sky/

It must not be anymore than seven or eight feet deep.

Is just seems really shallow to me for a 24-storey building.

Any Comments??

[Utah_Dave]

Originally Posted by Merewether

Interview by Downtown Alliance with HKS architects about the environmental focus of the proposed Kensington project ( the Carl’s Jr site). Timeline:in early design stage, construction anticipated 2021-2024
https://downtownslc.org/downtown-eve...salt-lake-city

Oooooohhh! Crossing my fingers on this one for the next 2 years. Please please please.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by meman

Has anyone out there noticed how shallow the excavation is for Liberty Sky/

It must not be anymore than seven or eight feet deep.

Is just seems really shallow to me for a 24-storey building.

Any Comments??

I believe that all the parking is in the structure that they built that will be shared with their 7-story apartment building on 2nd East. So, this is probably just a big matt foundation connected to piles driven into the soil.

[LeroyJenkins]

Originally Posted by Orlando

I believe that all the parking is in the structure that they built that will be shared with their 7-story apartment building on 2nd East. So, this is probably just a big matt foundation connected to piles driven into the soil.

Correct. There is no basement structure to Liberty Sky. All footings sit just slightly below grade.