Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[Lilljemalm]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I'd like to include Portland, Seattle and Vancouver on that list. I too hope they look for inspiration in places other than the suburbs of California. Maybe the issue is that a good number of people seem to move to Utah from California and maybe it is the same with developers. Maybe California based developers look for new markets and they come to Utah, as opposed to developers that are working in the other cities mentioned, and not needing to look to develop in other areas.

Yes, Portland, Seattle and especially Vancouver would be cities for SLC developers and architects to look at, but I think they should give more attention to European cities. SLC is considered by travel editors to be the Paris of the west and it would do well to look at European styles. Don't look at Denver or Minneapolis - to me both are too generic and too middle America (I used to live in Denver and its architecture never enthused me). That's just what I like is all.

[sphinx88844]

Originally Posted by Lilljemalm

Yes, Portland, Seattle and especially Vancouver would be cities for SLC developers and architects to look at, but I think they should give more attention to European cities. SLC is considered by travel editors to be the Paris of the west and it would do well to look at European styles. Don't look at Denver or Minneapolis - to me both are too generic and too middle America (I used to live in Denver and its architecture never enthused me). That's just what I like is all.

I'm glad you don't live in Denver anymore….

[jimmycdii]

Originally Posted by Lilljemalm

Yes, Portland, Seattle and especially Vancouver would be cities for SLC developers and architects to look at, but I think they should give more attention to European cities. SLC is considered by travel editors to be the Paris of the west and it would do well to look at European styles. Don't look at Denver or Minneapolis - to me both are too generic and too middle America (I used to live in Denver and its architecture never enthused me). That's just what I like is all.

If we're naming cities to look to, Melbourne is one I've recently learned more about that offers some decent lessons for SLC. This is more planning than architecture, but apparently Melbourne has city blocks and street widths that are very similar to SLC, but over the couple of decades has become vastly more walkable and European-feeling. I've never been, but I hope the people building our city are looking to examples like that for inspiration.

[Comrade]

The Paris of the West?

What? lol

Maybe the Leicester of the West.

[CofIKid]

I think it is important to remember with the Capital Theater expansio is also a renovation project. A lot of work has been completed in the existing interior of the building, and specifically in the buildings lobby.

The focus has been to complete the interior renovation before the building reopens to the public for this season's opening of The Nutcracker.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

The Paris of the West?

What? lol

Maybe the Leicester of the West.

I had to look Leicester up on Google Image. Cool historical English regional hub, with a lot of cool old buildings. I think I recognize one of the buildings from a Harry Potter movie.

City Creek is a definite modern update of much of Rome's/Italy's typical inner city layouts. I'm curious Lilljemalm what particular aspect of Salt Lake City the tourist officials were comparing to Paris. When I spoke of Denver's example, I was strictly talking about recent mid-rise apartment contruction in the CBD. I agree that certain aspects of Salt Lake City have a much more European flare than most Western U.S. cities. If we continue to develop the CBD in the direction it's going, it will only become even more that way. We must continue to be creative with the inner blocks.

Just a thought, but we've all seen pics of Nashville's skyline pretty often. However, this time that highrise on the left struck me differently. I realized the top line had kind of a loose interpretative similarity to the design of many of the LDS Churches Temples. So anyway, I thought when the LDS Church does construct the needed additional office tower downtown, it would be cool to do something along the line of this tower. Perhaps in a gray granite, with more of a gothic revival or art-deco interpretation, and with six spires vs. two? At about 25 or so floors it would look very cool in the skyline at the northern edge, between the West Temple and 2nd West blocks. I'm thinking only 25 floors based on what the current height plans seem to be for the center blocks of the skyline. If we finally start building 50-plus highrises, then take the COB higher. Based on the numbers of LDS Church employees that are scattered around the Central Metro, probably something in the 30-40 story range is going to be needed 5 to10 years from now.

Let's assume for discussion sake that this particular design were used as a starting point for the new COB. What design aspects and external treatments would you change, add to, alter, etc?

For myself, I can't help but want to see a lot more strong art-deco influence in Downtown Salt Lake. Not weak art deco, but visually strong enough to leave no doubt that Salt Lake has some fantastic Deco architecture. Gothic Revival is cool in that it would be a respectful nod to the iconic Salt Lake Temple.


http://danhollandphotos.com

[Utaaah!]

Originally Posted by jimmycdii

If we're naming cities to look to, Melbourne is one I've recently learned more about that offers some decent lessons for SLC. This is more planning than architecture, but apparently Melbourne has city blocks and street widths that are very similar to SLC, but over the couple of decades has become vastly more walkable and European-feeling. I've never been, but I hope the people building our city are looking to examples like that for inspiration.

For those wishing to pursue this comparison, check out this 10-minute StreetFilms documentary of Melbourne: http://www.streetfilms.org/melbourne/.

Here's an excerpt from the write-up:

In the early 90s, Melbourne was hardly a haven for pedestrian life until Jan Gehl was invited there to undertake a study and publish recommendations on street improvements and public space. Ten years after the survey's findings, Melbourne was a remarkably different place thanks to sidewalk widenings, copious tree plantings, a burgeoning cafe culture, and various types of car restrictions on some streets. Public space and art abound. And all of this is an economic boom for business.

[Future Mayor]

That is a nice piece on Melbourne. I do like how Salt Lake City has realized that to improve the overall pedestrian experience and access is to break up the blocks. I think the first successful mid-block will be Regent St, between 100 and 200 S. The way that the PAC is designed to include retail and a plaza, if the parking garage can be updated on the ground floor, combine those factors with the fact that it will link City Creek and Gallivan as well as a cut through from Main it could be a very successful mid-block corridor. I really feel that for the city to see it's true potential and to grow and transform, many more mid-block corridors need to be created and be utilized.

Another mid-block that I like is the one that is being included in the LaPorte State Street project, connecting State to Floral St and through to Edison Street as well, it would be nice to eventually have it connect all the way through to 200 E. While it doesn't seem like all that big of a deal it can result in a very long mid-block walkway, from 200 E to W. Temple. No it's not direct line of site but there is mid-block access through that entire corridor. Speaking specifically of this corridor I would like to see Bistro 222 have outdoor seating in the corridor between the buildings, allowing people to realize that there are more pedestrian options rather than just the grid streets. I also think it would be nice to see the ground floor of some the American Plaza buildings be converted into bars or clubs, those buildings that are not sitting on 200 S, and I'd like to see the back entrances of the Main St buildings be utilized and accessed from the 222 parking access alley from 300 S. I think a club in the basement of a Main St building that is accessed from the alley would be really cool.

Those are just a few of my thoughts, on how to enliven just that corridor between 200 and 300 S.

[tygr]

I lived in Melbourne in the mid 90s and loved the CBD. It appears that it is a ten times better and really makes me want to go back.

This is a perfect example of how to create a pedestrian centric city that's full of welcome energy.

Thanks for sharing!

[Lilljemalm]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

The Paris of the West?

What? lol

Maybe the Leicester of the West.

Yes, believe it or not -- Conde Naste.

[Lilljemalm]

Originally Posted by sphinx88844

I'm glad you don't live in Denver anymore….

...and now I'm in lovely Lincoln, Nebraska, land of California split level houses

[jimmycdii]

I went walking by the former Bennion Jewelers last night. I think someone already mentioned that they moved all their stuff in anticipation of the building being demolished, but the entire interior of the store is now basically gutted. So I'm guess the demo is getting closer.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by jimmycdii

I went walking by the former Bennion Jewelers last night. I think someone already mentioned that they moved all their stuff in anticipation of the building being demolished, but the entire interior of the store is now basically gutted. So I'm guess the demo is getting closer.

Demo starts at the first of the new year. But in the mean time we will start to see the trees and other things cleared out along the sidewalk and I'm guessing within the coming weeks we will start seeing the temp. wooden sidewalks go in.

[Viperlord]

The old Mark Miller Toyota dealership on 700 South and West Temple is getting a makeover into something new......

a sketch rendering is available at the link below:
http://universe.byu.edu/2013/09/30/schoo...xpanding-700-new-jobs-in-salt-lake-city/

[gusam26]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

we will start seeing the temp. wooden sidewalks go in.

[StevenF]

My wife had to do some training for her job up at the LDS hospital today and I was able to see some work on some of the buildings around downtown. I drove along State and 2nd East. Noticed they were working on the skin of 101 and it was topped out. Also, State Street Plaza actually had at least 1 person working on the site, as I saw him doing some rebar work. Nothing was built past the first level yet and still seems to be crawling along. I also notice the Lotus and thought it looked nice.

I didn't take any pictures since I was driving a mini mini van filled with children during the morning and evening rush hour traffic. I did not do a typo with the double mini's, since we drive a Mazda 5, and that is how I describe it.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by gusam26

Nice. Well, looks like I'm a bit behind. Wow, this is really happening......finally.

[Viperlord]

November 12 RDA meeting

Metro Park West apartments:
http://www.slcrda.com/meetingsmin/2013/BOD/111213/8AMetroWest.pdf

state street plaza apartments loan update:
http://www.slcrda.com/meetingsmin/2013/BOD/111213/7EStateEx.pdf

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by gusam26

What a shame to be demolishing a decently handsome & relevantly recently redone building.

[delts145]

Thanks for that post Viper. This is very cool, that's 700 new jobs for Downtown. Also, a great repurpose for the abandoned dealership, and green too!

Originally Posted by Viperlord

The old Mark Miller Toyota dealership on 700 South and West Temple is getting a makeover into something new......

a sketch rendering is available at the link below:
http://universe.byu.edu/2013/09/30/schoo...xpanding-700-new-jobs-in-salt-lake-city/