Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 4

[Orlando]

John,
That's awesome that you have taken this on. Best of luck to getting this hotel developed! It's been a struggle, and I've heard some doubts about this second RFP. But, I sure hope this gets built soon, and is designed well.

[Old&New]

(Not at all meant to deter Handsome John from accomplishing his plans)

Pie in the sky. I envision an excavation for below-grade parking, as well as multiple levels of exhibit space, meeting space, cinema/auditorium space, and support space. Some of the exhibit space could also be below-grade near the tunnel to the convention center.

[Liberty Wellsian]

I do think that JLJL would be a gamble but from what has been reported it sounds like the most exciting highest upside proposal. I imagine given the tax incentives and the free real estate that this won't be the hardest project to secure financing. I say let John build a big phallic thing that we can all be proud of. Even if it doesn't make money it beats the hell out of a beige wall.

[Orlando]

Hey forumers,
random post about skyscrapers. This website has a great compilation and stats for all the 100 tallest skyscrapers completed this year. Guess what country had the most this year?

http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/year-in-review/2015

[linguisize]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Hey forumers,
random post about skyscrapers. This website has a great compilation and stats for all the 100 tallest skyscrapers completed this year. Guess what country had the most this year?

http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/year-in-review/2015

Imma not read that, and go ahead and say China. Shanghai last year seemed to have more construction going on than the entirety of the United states.

[asies1981]

Cool project planned for Central Ninth.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by asies1981

Cool project planned for Central Ninth.

That is a cool project. I really like it.

[Stenar]

You can't have a convention hotel an entire block away from the CC, especially in SLC with our larger blocks.

Originally Posted by Old&New

(Not at all meant to deter Handsome John from accomplishing his plans)

Pie in the sky. I envision an excavation for below-grade parking, as well as multiple levels of exhibit space, meeting space, cinema/auditorium space, and support space. Some of the exhibit space could also be below-grade near the tunnel to the convention center.

[TonyAnderson]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Salt Lake is the Reno of the Rockies.

Then what is Pueblo, CO?

[TonyAnderson]

Originally Posted by AllOutOfBubbleGum

You touched on a few things that will keep a NFL and MLB team out of Utah.

It's All about the Benjamin's.

We as a city and Metro area do not have enough Billionaires in it. We do not have enough corporate money. We do not have the Tax base to finance a stadium. We have enough to support what we have now, barely.

The NFL wants LA for its "huge tracks of .....L̶a̶n̶d̶ Money" Lots of corporate partners. LA wants the Rams because a 7.5 billionaire is financing the stadium and the Tax that will be used will not be on the stadium but the Roads leading to it.

Even if San Diego ends up in LA and the Raiders leave Oakland. The Raiders could end up in London, Mexico City,Toronto or San Antonio before they choose SLC.

We have a nice city but we do not have the cash flow to house a NFL team. It will cost at a minimum $400 Million of Tax money to Build a stadium.

MLB is a little different but the same issues come up. The other issue is no MLB team is in a stadium that is older then 20 years except 2. Oakland and Tampa Bay.

We should feel very lucky to have the 2 Pro teams we have and the 2 minor league teams. All Pro teams are in top notch buildings despite what people say about Vivint Arena. There are some really bad NBA arena's out there that are newer but not kept up like the Jazz arena.

Utah is starting to create quite a few billionaires though, and money is really pouring in due to Silicon Slopes and the likes. I definitely don't see an NFL team here since college is so big, but an MLB or hockey team at some point wouldn't be crazy.

There's numerous areas with more pro teams than us and a smaller base. But also some larger areas that have room for more teams.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Stenar

You can't have a convention hotel an entire block away from the CC, especially in SLC with our larger blocks.

From the tower? or any part of the hotel? The hotel spans the entire block. But regardless, what was the criteria again....within 2000 ft? The ballroom and meeting space in my hotel diagram are directly across the street from the convention center. And there's a direct connection to the lower lobby of the convention center via a tunnel. It seems seamless to me.

Because the hotel spans the entire block, it practically connects the convention center to the UPAC.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Old&New

From the tower? or any part of the hotel? The hotel spans the entire block. But regardless, what was the criteria again....within 2000 ft? The ballroom and meeting space in my hotel diagram are directly across the street from the convention center. And there's a direct connection to the lower lobby of the convention center via a tunnel. It seems seamless to me.

Because the hotel spans the entire block, it practically connects the convention center to the UPAC.

Have you ever been to a convention? I've been to numerous. Meetings aren't just held in the ballrooms and the meeting rooms, sometimes meetings are held in hotel rooms, often by the people running the conventions. People need to be able to go from their hotel rooms to the convention center very quickly, (everyone, not just the convention leadership). They can't be going from the tower, through the ballroom, under a tunnel, etc, etc. The convention hotel has to be on the hotel property, directly connected, not across the street, not even if there's a tunnel.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Stenar

Have you ever been to a convention? I've been to numerous. Meetings aren't just held in the ballrooms and the meeting rooms, sometimes meetings are held in hotel rooms, often by the people running the conventions. People need to be able to go from their hotel rooms to the convention center very quickly, (everyone, not just the convention leadership). They can't be going from the tower, through the ballroom, under a tunnel, etc, etc. The convention hotel has to be on the hotel property, directly connected, not across the street, not even if there's a tunnel.

So that's what they're being called now, "meetings."

[Marvland]

Originally Posted by TonyAnderson

Utah is starting to create quite a few billionaires though, and money is really pouring in due to Silicon Slopes and the likes. I definitely don't see an NFL team here since college is so big, but an MLB or hockey team at some point wouldn't be crazy.

Salt Lake will have an MLB team within seven years. Mark it down. High revs (lots of games) with low attendance needs.

[delts145]

I think I would prefer something along this design over Denver, and this isn't even it's most flattering angle. I like the angle you posted earlier Future Mayor. Also L shape, like you said, and of course a little taller to account for the larger capacity.

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I wouldn't mind something of this for our CCH. This is the Cleveland one at 600 rooms and it is a Marriott. So obviously ours would be nearly twice as many rooms. The balcony you see near the top by the crane, is a bar overlooking Lake Erie.




Maybe to get to the 1,000 - 1,200 rooms for ours they could do something similar to this but in the L shape?

[delts145]

I'm having the same feeling, and I'm counting on us both being right!

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I honestly have a feeling we are going to very pleasantly surprised when we see the accepted proposal. I have no idea why I had that feeling as I walked into Harmons tonight but I did.

Maybe I'm just overly optimistic about Salt Lake City's future.

[Ironweed]

Now he calls himself handsome?

Some-one get a fire extinguisher! The kid's ego needs a bath?

Look Johnny, if you can get it built, and it is a skyscraper that enhances the skyline, I'll be your biggest fan!! I'll even ride my bike around town putting up that Aryan poster-boy 'vote for me' when you decide to run for mayor!

You will have inspired me, and I will ditch my 20+ years real estate private equity experience and go open several taco bars with your face and a logo "Eat at John's" (We share the same name! :O) With your permission and royalties of course.

Good luck young John. It would be a phenomenal achievement to get this deal with your background.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Stenar

Have you ever been to a convention? I've been to numerous. Meetings aren't just held in the ballrooms and the meeting rooms, sometimes meetings are held in hotel rooms, often by the people running the conventions. People need to be able to go from their hotel rooms to the convention center very quickly, (everyone, not just the convention leadership). They can't be going from the tower, through the ballroom, under a tunnel, etc, etc. The convention hotel has to be on the hotel property, directly connected, not across the street, not even if there's a tunnel.

I just had another thought. What if the tunnels had people movers in them?

[jtrent77]

Originally Posted by Old&New

I just had another thought. What if the tunnels had people movers in them?

At this point shouldn't this be on the "your version of SLC" thread since NONE OF THIS IS REMOTELY GOING TO HAPPEN? Let's be realistic.

[EPdesign]

I like old&New posting his/her ideas on here. I don't see other development news. Just more waiting. And when did this forum become a filled with naysayers. I know of many time people posted their rough ideas on here and many saw it as a opportunity for discussion and sharing knowledge/teaching, not an opportunity to shut people down. Now you all know everything about what and how and who, and put down those that still find excitement in the possibilities. It's a forum, not a news feed. I say share ideas. No matter how "impossible," others might say they are