Oquirrh Mountain plans crumble


By Jeremiah Stettler
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 05/17/2008 10:40:29 AM MDT


The vision for Salt Lake County's west bench was mind-boggling in magnitude: hillsides sprouting with tens of thousands of homes, a residential population mushrooming to more than a half-million people and, to top it off, a ski resort blossoming in the rugged Oquirrh Mountain canyons.


http://extras.mnginteractive.com/liv...58_Gallery.jpg

But that seed never made it through the soil.
Kennecott abruptly withdrew its funding this year from the county's west-bench planning team - charged with crafting land-use laws to govern the 41,000-acre makeover - and effectively shelved one of the largest developments of its kind in the nation...

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/liv...18_Gallery.jpg


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9284071?source=rss



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:previous:

Interesting read Steve. I'm glad in a way that so much power will not be focused with Rio Tinto. It seemed as if they were pushing they're considerable weight around a little too much.

Megalopolis: Urban sprawl slowly blurs Wasatch Front towns, cities

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...226908,00.html

"This is a whole different world we're living in," said Robert Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, who is studying the Wasatch Front as one of the Intermountain West's five emerging "megapolitan" areas, where expanding commuting patterns make trends toward denser developments necessary and inevitable.

"The challenge for the Wasatch Front is using up its space inefficiently, using it for large subdivisions instead of being smart about how this shelf is being used. It's building a big transit structure and ... creating a strategy for where it will grow denser and where you would have neighborhoods of single-family homes."

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Oracle plans Utah facility - 200,000-square-foot West Jordan data center will open in 2010

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...227394,00.html

The company will be getting financial incentives from both the state and local entities.

Board members said Friday that Idaho was a competitor to land the data center, and while Utah's incentive was smaller, it was competitiive...Oracle walked away from an agreement to build a data center in late March when a property owner in Meridian raised the price of the real estate as the deal was closing.

W. Jordan wins Oracle plant - Data-storage center will employ 100 people at high wages

http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_9317307

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Cottonwood Mall Breaks Ground!!!
 

Cottonwood Mall Breaks Ground - KSL Story

DESERET NEWS STORY

http://deseretnews.com/photos/midres/5544740.jpg

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :notacrook: :cheers: :cheers:

:previous: :banana: :banana:

:tup: This is very exciting news. I was just wondering the other day about this huge project. This is one lifestyle center that I am very excited about. I would say it's one of the nicest under development in the nation right now.

Major props to General Growth Properties, the city planners of Holladay and to the city council. I know for a fact that this is one group of people who have stuck to their guns on a whole list of issues, which will make this project top quality.

I'm wishing that Holladay had another developer other than Cowboy Partner's for their other major project, "The Village Center," up on Holladay Blvd. I wasn't surprised with the Harmon's downgrade, given what I've seen with C.P's other projects. I really respect the Holladay people for not allowing Cowboy Partners to run rough-shod over their goals and ambitions for the village center. The more I see of Cowboy Partner's, the more I cringe everytime I see that they are involved in a particular project. Again, thank goodness they're not involved in 'The Cottonwood.'

:banana: :banaride: Change is coming to Cottonwood Mall - New mixed-use development breaks ground

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9355864?source=rv

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/liv...~1_Gallery.jpg
The Former Cottonwood Mall

Cottonwood timeline

* The mall, one of the first in the West, opens in August 1962.
* General Growth Properties purchases the mall's owner JP Realty Inc. in March 2002.
* Plans for a major overhaul are announced in July 2007.
* In February, Holladay creates an Urban Renewal Area surrounding the mall site to provide $96 million in property-tax subsidies for the $550 million renovation.
* Realignment of Big Cottonwood Creek takes place this past winter.
* The site has to be raised from a flood plain, with work starting in June and wrapping up in March 2009.
* Buildings could start to rise in March 2009.
* Shopping at the new Cottonwood is expected to open in late 2010.
Source: General Growth Properties


Features of new Cottonwood


* 57 acres, of which 11 will be for open space and a public plaza.
* 500 residences, including town houses, condos and single-family homes.
* 195,000 square feet of office space.
* 575,000 square feet of shopping.
* Tree-lined streets with views of Mount Olympus.


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Cottonwood Mall Revival Begins

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700228291,00.html

http://deseretnews.com/photos/midres/5544734.jpg


..."This is going to be so totally different from Fashion Place," Bucksbaum said." To me, that's what's best about the fact that we own multiple properties. We try to stay as far away from homogeneous as possible."

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Awesome!!! This will be a very fun project to keep an eye on. Hey T-Mac are you ever in that area? If not then I'll try to take some photos of the site.

That is such an aggressive project. I love the renderings! I really hope it turns out nice..

My wife's sister and her husband live about 2 or 3 miles up the hill from there. I will try to stop by there next time I am in the area.

Daly Avenue is next for Talisker - Developer will unveil work force project at the southern tip of Old Town

http://www.parkrecord.com/city/ci_9394833

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/liv...ty_Gallery.jpg
Empire Pass developer Talisker wants to build a work force housing project on the upper reaches of Daly Avenue, a narrow Old Town street at the mouth of Empire Canyon. People who live on Daly Avenue might be unhappy with the idea. A Planning Department official expects neighbors to say Daly Avenue is tightly packed with houses already. Jay Hamburger/Park Record

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RSL Stadium update
 

RSL Stadium photo update!
May 28, 2008


The stadium looking East from the freeway.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9...ouse003nm6.jpg


Looking West-North
http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/658...ouse006lz6.jpg


http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/461...ouse007kr3.jpg


http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/910...ouse008ls2.jpg

New Midrise Hotels in Sandy

Hyatt Hotel ( 4-stories ) from the freeway.
Almost finish
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9...ouse004zs9.jpg


Hilton Garden Inn ( 5-stories ) on 10000 South and I-15
Almost finish
http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/821...ouse009ty5.jpg

New Office buildings popping up everywhere!

Seems like everywhere we drive in the valley there is a new office building getting built or being planned.

Here are a few...

Draper
St. Mark Office building
4-stories
11800 South and State Street.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5...ouse005mo9.jpg



West Jordan
Office building
3-stories
Near 9000 South and on Redwood Road
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/9...ouse010hm0.jpg



Office building
3-stories
Near 6500 South and on Redwood Road
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/2...ouse012sp8.jpg



It's great seeing all these smaller new office buildings popping up, but I would like to see some more highrise office towers planned for downtown SLC other then 222 south Main.

I don't think you can "have your cake and eat it too" on this one Projects. :(

I think that you can "have your cake and eat it too." Companies that are seeking suburban offices are looking for just that. Those companies, generally, have no desire to be located in an urban office. Good examples are technology companies that have always preferred a campus, suburban style office. Other companies will be looking for the opposite. Banking, finance, and legal companies are often looking for urban settings.

There is a demand and will continue to be a demand for both. We certainly cannot expect that the entire Wasatch Front will be employed in SLC.

Excellent points UTPlanner! Great pics Projects as always, and thanks for bringing us up-to-date on that area. Man, the stadium is going to be BEEEEuuuutiful! Projects, did you catch Beckham on Leno? What a stud! He's such a great, humble guy.

everytime I see photos of the stadium I get angry. I wish it was really ugly and that it ends up being a complete failure for Sandy. ... Feeling a little vindictive right now.


I know I say this a lot, but just imagine. DT with the Stadium , the Frank Gehry project, the Proscenium (if the latter 2 really happen) and CCC. ... That would be an amazing urban core.

There are many Tech companies that have offices in urban cores. I don't know why you would say that technology companies have always preferred campuses. I think that is a generalization. Those companies that are environmentally aware will likely be located in urban cores. As society becomes more aware of the impacts of unsustainable infrastructure on the environment (our life-blood), the sub-urban locations will likely become undesirable. the Salt Lake Valley has more than enough suburban office parks as it is. And yes, we can expect many along the wasatch front to work in the urban core now that we are focussing more on mass transit, a cleaner, more social, and more efficient way to move people around.

Since we're on the subject of the Stadium, this is what could have been:

This is what exists currently at the Fairpark:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...g?t=1212020305

And here are the plans that were presented by Mayor Rocky Anderson:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...g?t=1212020383

Of course this included housing:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...g?t=1212020444

and was centered around mass transit:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...g?t=1212020506

This is what North Temple could have looked like:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...g?t=1212020791

^^^^^^ yup that woulda been awesome. I'm still excited for the Sandy stadium however.

agreed
 

UTPlanner I agree with you sometimes you want to live in the suburbs and not commute to the metro! more time with your family and you don't have sit in your car or bus for an hour. i do want more people who like urban living to live in slc to keep the skyscrapers coming.

It's a damn shame.

Thanks for sharing those plans with us Urbanboy. I have never seem them before. That would of been cool. However clear up. I do believe that the city still has big plans for the fairpark and that area on North Temple.
In fact wasn't it viperlord who posted a story the other day that a "Film studio" could be coming to the fairpack. I bet once light rail is up and running down North temple we will be seeing all kinds of new urban/Mix-use developments going on in that area. :}

^^^
I think the TRAX line will do a lot to spur development along North Temple. The sooner the better, it's long overdue.

Draper hires development specialist

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9411525

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Just had lunch with a friend and he said that a developer is planning on building an 8, 10 and 12 story towers in south salt lake. 30th south or so. He wants to do it now, so as to get a step on Market Station. We shall see if it pans out.

Well Urbanboy be careful with your words. You have been known to generalize often on these threads. Many tech companies have offices in urban areas, but in general, not always but in general where are their core offices. Think about it Microsoft, Google, EBAY, Intel, Micron, Yahoo all have suburban campuses.

I just think that it is odd that some people think that everybody needs to think the way they do. Choice is one of the greatest benefits in life. If an individual wants to live on an acre and have a long commute I think he should have that choice. If I want to live downtown I should have that choice. I just don't understand why some people want to take other's right to choose away to ensure that the world turns out exactly the way they think it should.

UTPlanner! it's because peoples choices affect everyone. If you choose to use an unsustainable and polluting form of energy, it ends up polluting the air; We have to breath that air too! How on earth can you call yourself a planner; You need to be more idealistic! It is unethical, as a Planner, not to be so!

How can I call myself a planner? Which one of us is actually employed as a planner? Which one of us has years of experience as a planner?

There is a time to be idealistic and there is a time to be a realist. I make the right choices in my life because I think they are the right choices. I will certainly always recommend the right decisions when I am asked in my job but I will always leave the decisions up to our elected leaders (my bosses).

I won't let you get to me because you're just a kid. Your immature attitude is obvious in each of your posts. Talk to me in about 10 years. I have a feeling you won't be singing the same song.

Just remember that those in life that are seeking acceptance from the world and society should not be the ones to not accept others and their ideas.

:previous:
I agree completely with you UTPlanner.

Here is an excerpt from a paper I wrote last semester:

"Is it unrealistic to be idealistic? This question came about after a classmate told me that one of her professors told her she was being too idealistic. This professor has been in the planning field for a while and apparently has become very “realistic.” This scared me, and I wondered if I was doomed to the same outlook. I wondered if I could stand up to the seemingly acceptable standard of mediocrity. Then I realized that my understanding of ethics in planning, however meager it may be, will never allow me to lose my passion for how things ought to be, rather than giving into a “this is reality, this is how things are” attitude.

Now to answer the question, it is unrealistic not to be idealistic? The ideal scenario is brought about by the answering of ethical questions. Therefore, it would be unethical not to be idealistic."

I think that a person can be both realistic and idealistic in their career and in their personal life.

Just remember to focus on both grand ideas and reality if you ever want to have a career as a planner. Whether you work as a consultant or in a government position you will always have a client or a boss. What happens if a developer hires your company to design a suburban subdivision and he wants 1/2 acre lots and 66' roadways? What if the Mayor and Council of your community disagrees with the General Plan that you have recommended and asks you to mold it to their desires? Do you quit/lose your job? Or do you realize that you don't need to lose your zeal for idealism but still realize that reality exists and that you have a job to do?

Leaving school was disillusioning, and it was the same way with nearly every planner that I know. I spoke with fellow planners at the last APA Conference after I gave a presentation on Multi-modal Transportation Systems. (I am recognized as a planner and have been asked to speak by a few organizations, APA and ULI being two of them) What is taught in school is a wonderful foundation but some day the real world comes knocking.

Just something to think about.

Of course, I've thought about this alot, and it upsets me. In our code of ethics, it says that we should seek to educate others on planning issues and how they are affected by them. One of my life goals is to get Planning into the general education system, on par with Math and Science! This is the only way I can think of to effectively reach the masses and create positive change.

Urbanboy, I would seriously suggest that you figure out a way to take what you are learning in school and at the very least, eventually becoming a developer who calls his own shots. Look at those development companies that you most admire. You should be doing some sort of part-time/limited internship with someone like a Milo, etc. After you graduate, you should have already developed a certain reputation and rapport with those type of companies that call their own shots and are in-sync with your own philosophy. These types of development companies will be an excellent vehicle for you to progress to a point of being able to call some of the critical shots on different projects.

What UTPlanner is telling you is gospel and you should listen intently. Don't think of it as criticism, but as part of your planning strategy.

Edit: Certainly, becoming an educator of the profession would be a noble way of moving forward. If you can combine being an educator with also being out there with your own projects,(even intimate,smaller projects can be extremely influential) this would be an even bigger plus.

I apologize UTPlanner for questioning your status as a planner. Hey Delts, I would love to have a conversation with you to help me strategize a transition from my schooling to a professional carrier.

I think that school sets a great foundation in just about every field but once you leave school and get a job, it all changes. The same can be said for public accounting. We tell new hires that what you learned in school was great, but now let your real education begin.

I think it's a little different in this case T-Mac. Yes, I think the best way to be educated is by getting hands on training in the field. However, when you understand systems whether its the environment, a community, or the individual, and how they affect each other, and realize both the ethical implications behind them, and the consequences of being irresponsible within them, then you see that its more complicated and serious, making it unethical to say: Here's the real world, or here's your real education, when what is currently being done is irresponsible.

So true T-Mac, Sooo true!!! :yes:

I can see your point Urbanboy, but I would also like to see what you have to say in 10 years after you have left school. In the search to provide a living for your family, you have to take the ideal and give it a back seat to reality. I'm not saying to throw it out the window but take what you learn so that when you are in a position to make changes, you can. Sometimes, it's baby steps that can be accepted by people and not huge changes. I think that people hate to change the status quo. We all get caught in our own comfort zones and it can be very difficult to get out of them especially when you try to do it for the masses.

Being idealistic is great. Have your views! Make decisions based on what you believe in! Just DON'T think that your views are the only views that are viable. That's all I ask.

Sorry wrendog, I'm not going to back down on my statement. If something is not sustainable and responsible, then it is not viable full stop.

Interesting subject, that is idealism versus "realism". I think it is true that give and take is the natural and best way for things, but when does compromise actually become a negative, leaving neither side happy, and when is it necessary to not compromise in order to maintain integrity and actually accomplish something worth while? I don't have the answer, but I am reminded of a quote
"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality." -Dante
So yes, the real world happens and ideals have to be compromised at times, but certainly maintaining some degree of idealism throughout life, if it really is important to you, is a rare and desirable attribute. I wish you good luck in your career Urbanboy, and hope you do hold on to some of your ideals, despite life's best attempts at squashing them and making you conform to societal norms.

That's great. Have your views, BUT, you are making a complex situation into a narrow set of rules. Fight for you views, they are good. It's just not the only way.

:previous:
While some of you guys were debating on here did anyone notice this post by wrendog? We could have another new project to look forward too.

Thanks for sharing the news wrendog. Are these towers going to be Office or housing or both? :shrug:

Yeah, I did notice that Projects. I was thinking that if both that and Market Station happened it would create quite the little skyline in that area. We could call that area Downtown, since it's south and the current Downtown would become Uptown.

Supposedly residential. Also, looks like Southern Exposure is going to move to..... Chinatown in SSL.

A Tittybar in Chinatown. That's about as Hollywood cliche as you can get!! LOL

I drove by the Chinatown development the other night, on Main Street. It doesn't look like anything is happening there.

Does anybody know anything about Millcreek Cottages on 3300 S & 2940 E where the SL Board of Realtors building was?