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Originally Posted by DenverInfill
I think this is a key point. I noticed everyone is using the Salt Lake City CSA population figure of 2.5 million for this skyline analysis. But that figure includes stand-alone cities like Ogden and Provo that have their own central business districts. It doesn't seem to me that the populations of the Ogden and Provo MSAs really contribute much to the demand for skyscrapers in downtown SLC.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Comrade
Because it's silly to suggest Salt Lake has more in common as a region with Hartford, Grand Rapids, Birmingham and Tucson (metros roughly the same size as Salt Lake's) than they do Portland, Charlotte, Sacramento and Pittsburgh.
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That is precisely why I use the CSA, it gets kind of "silly" comparing MSA's, and even more ridiculous comparing cities. CSA's are much more of an apples-to-apples comparison (or at least as close to one as you can get) when comparing geographic areas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain man
Why would any business owner put an office downtown if they live in Provo or Ogden. No sensible person is going to drive 45 minutes downtown and back every day, and that's without traffic, it can be well over an hour if there is. So that's why I believe there are more office buildings being built in other cities just like the much hated Sandy. And if Provo or Ogden are much closer to where I live than downtown then I'm going to put my office in the closest one.
Question, does Salt Lake have any incentives for companies to want to move downtown?
The problem to me is that Salt Lake is just to far for most people to want to drive and the front runner takes so long as well. So why would most companies want to move downtown?
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I have noticed that a lot of people tend to over estimate the sprawl along the Wasatch Front. Here are some more SLC/CLT comparisons to put things in perspective:
Provo to SLC: 44 min by car (62 by train)
Ogden to SLC: 36 min by car (57 by train)
Rock Hill (SC) to Charlotte: 38 min by car (No rail)
Salisbury to Charlotte: 47 min by car (No rail)
The distances from the fringes of the CSA to the center are nearly identical in both. I don't think this is a factor in lack of skyline development. If anything, the increased compactness would encourage SLC to grow higher. In my 5 years in UT, I knew countless people who commuted from as far away as Santaquin or Pleasant View to SLC for work or school. It's quite common actually. CSA-designated areas must "demonstrate economic or social linkage." The United States Office of Management and Budget defines a CSA as consisting of various combinations of adjacent metropolitan and micropolitan areas with economic ties measured by commuting patterns. The CSA designation requires a minimum employment exchange of 15%. I imagine SLC and CLT are similar in this regard.
I tend to agree with the suggestions that it may have more to do with the multi-polar nature of CBD's along the Wasatch Front and the wide blocks downtown. Even so, I still feel like SLC has some catching up to do. It has a decent bulk of mid-level to smaller high-rise towers, but it lacks some break-out 500-600 footers. I don't think any of these factors excuse SLC from its stubby skyline. Maybe it won't ever get as many 500 and 600+ foot towers as CLT, but it can certainly get a few. I'm not saying SLC should have an identical skyline to CLT, but it should at least be in the same league.
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