Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[taboubak]

It was posted on reddit, but the parking lot and adjacent office building on 400s and state was listed for sale today, with alot of emphasis on its D1 zoning. This would be a great site for a couple towers if anything ever happened with it.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by airhero

I agree that a 600 footer isn’t too tall. In fact I think a 700 footer or even 800 would look great. I’m normally on the pessimist side but I’d be surprised if Salt Lake doesn’t break through its flat top in the next ten years. Salt Lake has had some extremely consistent growth in population and economically, it’s getting attention from out of state investors, and with the spotlight of hosting the olympics again (which seems like a done deal but perhaps I’ll eat my words), the time seems right.

You're more optimistic than me. I do not see SLC breaking through the artificial ceiling we've seen with the current skyline in the next ten years.

The city might break 500 feet but that won't really improve the ceiling effect.

They do need at least a 600-700 footer to do that.

[Rileybo]

Y’all been saying “SLC will break the 500ft ceiling in the next few years” since Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread Part 1 nearly two decades ago.

[zurich]

Originally Posted by Rileybo

Y’all been saying “SLC will break the 500ft ceiling in the next few years” since Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread Part 1 nearly two decades ago.

With vacancies rising in the commercial space, work from home, tons of buildable space / vacant parking lots, what would be the catalyst to build something over 600ft downtown? IMO, its a beautiful downtown, but its lacking three main factors when compared to places like Austin... 1 - No massive tech companies moving downtown, 2 - No condos and people who want to live permanently downtown, 3 - no huge recreation area, like a lake, riverfront, ocean, etc. I think a huge park spanning 2-3 blocks would have helped. I also think a greenspace bikeway / pedestrian area with trees would help draw more interest. The winter olympics will probably draw more investment.

[John_Walker]

Originally Posted by zurich

With vacancies rising in the commercial space, work from home, tons of buildable space / vacant parking lots, what would be the catalyst to build something over 600ft downtown? IMO, its a beautiful downtown, but its lacking three main factors when compared to places like Austin... 1 - No massive tech companies moving downtown, 2 - No condos and people who want to live permanently downtown, 3 - no huge recreation area, like a lake, riverfront, ocean, etc. I think a huge park spanning 2-3 blocks would have helped. I also think a greenspace bikeway / pedestrian area with trees would help draw more interest. The winter olympics will probably draw more investment.

I think a large Fortune 500 company looking to build a new HQ is needed. Something like what is happening in Omaha, where Mutual of Omaha is building a 677 ft tower and has preliminary plans to build a 320 ft tower on an adjacent block several years from now. To your point, they also just opened a multi-block public park that stretches from the CBD down to and along the Missouri River.

[Hatman]

Originally Posted by zurich

With vacancies rising in the commercial space, work from home, tons of buildable space / vacant parking lots, what would be the catalyst to build something over 600ft downtown? IMO, its a beautiful downtown, but its lacking three main factors when compared to places like Austin... 1 - No massive tech companies moving downtown, 2 - No condos and people who want to live permanently downtown, 3 - no huge recreation area, like a lake, riverfront, ocean, etc. I think a huge park spanning 2-3 blocks would have helped. I also think a greenspace bikeway / pedestrian area with trees would help draw more interest. The winter olympics will probably draw more investment.

For point #3, would the improved Main Street count as a defining green-space?

https://www.ksl.com/article/50755996/is-...unveils-possible-downtown-design-changes

4 blocks, from South Temple to 4th South, could be made into a pedestrian-only plaza. 1st South in front of the Salt Palace could also be pedestrianized with space for outdoor convention events.

Go take the survey! I like Option B for Main Street, but there are a few good options.

Then imagine a future where the Rio Grande Depot has had its rail service restored, and 3rd South gets the same pedestrian treatment!
Speaking of the Rio Grande Plan, there has been some significant movement and we are working on organizing an event to discuss/present... but in the meanwhile, you are all welcome to tune in to a webinar this Friday hosted by the High Speed Rail Alliance!

https://www.hsrail.org/events/the-rio-gr...munity-support-for-railway-improvements/

[zurich]

Originally Posted by Hatman

For point #3, would the improved Main Street count as a defining green-space?

https://www.ksl.com/article/50755996/is-...unveils-possible-downtown-design-changes

4 blocks, from South Temple to 4th South, could be made into a pedestrian-only plaza. 1st South in front of the Salt Palace could also be pedestrianized with space for outdoor convention events.

Go take the survey! I like Option B for Main Street, but there are a few good options.

Then imagine a future where the Rio Grande Depot has had its rail service restored, and 3rd South gets the same pedestrian treatment!
Speaking of the Rio Grande Plan, there has been some significant movement and we are working on organizing an event to discuss/present... but in the meanwhile, you are all welcome to tune in to a webinar this Friday hosted by the High Speed Rail Alliance!

https://www.hsrail.org/events/the-rio-gr...munity-support-for-railway-improvements/

Thank you so much! I wasn't aware of the main street project. Just finished the survey and I loved option B. That and the Rio Grande plan would be game changers... again IMO.

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by Rileybo

Y’all been saying “SLC will break the 500ft ceiling in the next few years” since Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread Part 1 nearly two decades ago.

Yes but Salt Lake City has been growing in the last few years in a way that it wasn't 20 years ago.

[TheGeographer]

We have city creek as a recreation area. While it’s not smack dab in the middle of downtown, it starts on the edge and extends for as long as one wishes to walk.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by bob rulz

Yes but Salt Lake City has been growing in the last few years in a way that it wasn't 20 years ago.

I don't really see that having much of an impact on Salt Lake's chances of landing a tower that breaks the height ceiling over downtown, especially when you factor in the overall slowed growth of Salt Lake County in general.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by zurich

With vacancies rising in the commercial space, work from home, tons of buildable space / vacant parking lots, what would be the catalyst to build something over 600ft downtown? IMO, its a beautiful downtown, but its lacking three main factors when compared to places like Austin... 1 - No massive tech companies moving downtown, 2 - No condos and people who want to live permanently downtown, 3 - no huge recreation area, like a lake, riverfront, ocean, etc. I think a huge park spanning 2-3 blocks would have helped. I also think a greenspace bikeway / pedestrian area with trees would help draw more interest. The winter olympics will probably draw more investment.

It would have been really cool if Liberty Park was built here instead:



And maybe a smaller park built where Liberty Park was built.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Comrade

I don't really see that having much of an impact on Salt Lake's chances of landing a tower that breaks the height ceiling over downtown, especially when you factor in the overall slowed growth of Salt Lake County in general.

You're spot on, it doesn't, Phoenix has been growing at 100K per year since the 90s and it hasn't caused a catalyst for downtown growth. And certainly hasn't broke the height ceiling here either. DT PHX got popular and is now growing okay, due to ASU setting up a large/growing downtown, a good/growing art district creating a unique and walk-able space, and maybe pro sports helped a little.

[bob rulz]

I don't just mean growth of the city or population, but also the increasing heights. Phoenix may not have a ton of height downtown even though their population has been increasing a lot, but 7 of their 10 tallest were built in 2000 and earlier, their 2 tallest were built in the 1970s, and they've only had 1 building of 100+ meters built in the last 10 years, and none of their top 10 (although 1 under construction which will be top 10).

They do have an approved new tallest that breaks 500 feet, though I think it was approved like 3 years ago and isn't under construction yet, so I don't know the status of it.

Meanwhile Salt Lake City, if you count Astra, has completed 3 of their top 10 (3 of their top 5 more specifically) in the last 10 years (as well as the CCH which will now be #11 after Astra), including their tallest, and has another under construction. And out of those top 10, only 2 were built before the 1990s, and 3 before 1998 specifically.

It's worth emphasizing that even though we haven't broken that tabletop skyscraper ceiling, Salt Lake City has completed 3 of their 5 tallest buildings in the last 7 years.

Not saying that it's some kind of huge acceleration, but Salt Lake City's skyline has been growing steadily larger over the last decade while Phoenix's generally has not. I can't speak to why this is, and I know that it's no guarantee of anything in the future, but Salt Lake City has definitely seen more movement in their tallest towers list recently than Phoenix.

Phoenix is destroying Salt Lake City in the 50m-100m category, but that's to be expected from a city that's significantly larger.

[zurich]

Originally Posted by Comrade

It would have been really cool if Liberty Park was built here instead:



And maybe a smaller park built where Liberty Park was built.

100% agree. I've wanted to move Liberty Park myself pretty much exactly where you have it. The main street project would really liven up downtown and if it ended where the Temple is, you'd have a huge, walkable area downtown for several blocks and so many restaurants and shops would invest there. Even if they were street vendors, it would be a fun destination vs how it exists today. Not sure if the city could turn that tree lined parking lot on University and Main into a park - but its a great location for one.

[i-215]

Imagine a world where highrises stack up along the streets facing Liberty Park, in the way they do along Central Park in Midtown.

[dakben]

Originally Posted by i-215

Imagine a world where highrises stack up along the streets facing Liberty Park, in the way they do along Central Park in Midtown.

That would involve knocking my house down, so I prefer that doesn't happen.

[Atlas]

Someone has floated the idea of turning the roof of the Salt Palace into a large public park. Not sure how feasible that is but definitely a cool idea!

[taboubak]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Someone has floated the idea of turning the roof of the Salt Palace into a large public park. Not sure how feasible that is but definitely a cool idea!

Haha this was my idea, I always thought it would awesome and have killer skyline views.

[Schmoe]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Anything interesting in store for Astra's exterior lighting, Schmoe?

Colored lighting on the crown that will be used mostly to signal air quality, but can be customized for special purposes.

[Schmoe]

Originally Posted by John_Walker

I think a large Fortune 500 company looking to build a new HQ is needed.

I think we need one that leases a lot of space downtown to consolidate into a single, new tower.