Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[TheGeographer]

Originally Posted by Rileybo

That’s the worst render I’ve ever seen for a major development, and I’m not talking about the massing(that sucks, too).. the artist they hired to create that drawing didn’t give a fuck, there’s no detail what the hell?

Give me a ruler and some colored pencils and I’ll draw something better than the garbage IHC just put out. For being the largest company in the state with deep pockets they really couldn’t do better?

[Comrade]

Boy. Salt Lake would have lost the Jazz/NHL team if Rocky was the mayor.

[Blah_Amazing]

Originally Posted by joscar

Look like we're only get the conceptual plan for phase 1 of SEG's district. The good news is they're going to save the Fiedelity building.

I really like the concept so far.

One thing that really concerns me though is there doesn't seem to be anything related to Japantown.

Are they planning not to include anything for Japantown then?

Also, no mention of an Olympic Medals Plaza? They had mentioned that multiple times in prior announcements and discussions.

It seems like they are starting to shrink down on some of the originally promised stuff for budget reasons I guess.

[zurich]

Originally Posted by TheGeographer

Give me a ruler and some colored pencils and I’ll draw something better than the garbage IHC just put out. For being the largest company in the state with deep pockets they really couldn’t do better?

I'm not convinced Intermountain Health is serious after seeing that child's rendering. And to think, they presented that to city council members what was their goal? It really show's they're either running into financial issues for that project, or purposely delaying for another year or two or more. I'm encouraged after reading the Building Salt Lake article (posted below) as it sounds like two of the council members would vote NO. One member, seemed almosted disgusted. What a waste of time for everyone who had to be present at that meeting.

(https://buildingsaltlake.com/intermountain-unveils-plans-for-new-urban-hospital-at-sear-block/

[Blah_Amazing]

Originally Posted by TheGeographer

Give me a ruler and some colored pencils and I’ll draw something better than the garbage IHC just put out. For being the largest company in the state with deep pockets they really couldn’t do better?

Right!? I mean, we see better renderings for small townhouse projects.

[Rileybo]

Now that the work day is done and I can attentively look at the plans for the second Death Star.. yikes. Big yikes. A new parking garage facing Main Street in 2024. Another sky bridge on Main. “Green space”.

Visually speaking, it’ll be like Sears was rebuilt. Urban my ass. If I’m hurt or sick please don’t take me to IHC, and not just cause they’re wasting this block.

[Rileybo]

I'm not entirely sure how an office tower and a lil hotel will strengthen the culture and influence of Japantown, but I believe the future will be an improvement over the current state of that street. I’m disappointed to see the Raddison and Fidelity remain untouched. That portion of South Temple blows.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Rileybo

Urban my ass[/IMG]

"...it's probably Milhouse! Oh, Milhouse? Milhouse?"

While the SEG project is cautiously disappointing (another luxury condo tower, 3 chain restaurants, etc.) but could get better... the IHC project looks like a total disaster.

Will the city at least require that street-facing garage to have 100% pedestrian engagement along the ground floor? If not, it's going to be a dead zone along Main.

Sears 2.0 indeed! (But hey, if they can't get the freaking LOGO right, why should we expect them to get architecture right?)

Edit: Looks like the Emergency Department faces Main (I was turned around). Not exactly the kind of street engagement I had hoped for, but hey, engagement is engagement.

[i-215]

$1B in subsidies, demolition of half the convention center, ***AND*** Fidelity and its surface parking remain untouched?

This is NOT worth $1B in taxpayer subsidies!

----

Also notice: The booths on each end. Say GOODBYE to the right of public travel (easement) along 300 West. Only the right kind of (cash-paying) people are allowed on 300 West now. Protestors? The poor? Goodbye! But there's precedent, as the city gave away a block to the LDS church. (And Provo gave away a street to NuSkin — and another to the LDS church). Future generations are going to think we're morons for handing away public goods (forever) for such a small short-term benefit now.

This plan stinks the more it sinks in.


----

Also notice: A certain member of our community made fun of me for wanting to preserve the 200 W tunnel (I do not).

Guess what's in the plan? The same stinking tunnel!

----

Unless this plan changes DRAMATICALLY from this first draft, I feel vindicated. Ryan Smith is a tech bro who promises a vague idealistic FUTURE with few details, but demands concrete dollar commitments NOW. He'll gobble up your money, bring the minimum required in contract to market, and then walk away. And this half-hearted disappointment of a first draft is a clue.

[RC14]

^
Yeah, I'm not sure I like this draft. I'm trying to picture what it would be like in real life, but It looks sealed off from the rest of downtown instead of connected to it. You have tunnels on both 200 w and 300 W. The booths that I-215 mentioned, the Radisson blocking the north side and the convention center still on the east end. It looks like a smaller version of the Gateway 2.0.

On the other hand, I don't know that we are loosing anything with this plan. The convention center currently covers that block, the tunnel on 200 W exists and 300 W is basically a highway. I was just expecting something better.

The IHC plans are just gross. I don't know what they think urban means.

[i-215]

This feels like Crossroads Plaza but without a roof.

We're making the same mistakes they did in the 1970s. Except because it's new, shiny, and "going to save the Jazz" we're just charging along with this.

[nushiof]

The other interesting thing Ms Gouchner explained about the $900M tax funding is that only about ~20% of that will be paid by SLC residents, the rest being paid by tourists/visitors. That means the average SLC household contributes ~$120/year or ~$10/month. This is money well spend in my opinion. As Ms Gouchnet said, we can invest today or end up having to pay much more down the road, due to the donut effect.

[zurich]

Originally Posted by i-215

This feels like Crossroads Plaza but without a roof.

We're making the same mistakes they did in the 1970s. Except because it's new, shiny, and "going to save the Jazz" we're just charging along with this.

I think I heard the word "jumbotron" at least 25 times yesterday in all of the stories about the new entertainment district. We're in trouble is that is the main selling point.

And in regards to the new hospital.. Kudos to council member Alejandro Puy yesterday. He told the representatives from Intermountain West... "we asked for a mile and you you gave us a couple inches." IMO, their lack of care and preparation was downright offensive. I would have told them, this is absolute dog$hit, come back when you are serious.

[airhero]

Originally Posted by wrendog

SEG has stated multiple times that the 900 million for the state will be going towards the DC renovation and SEG would be spending another 3 billion or so...

I'm confused about the funding mechanism. SEG is a private company. The city will own the funds from the increased sales tax. But the state owns the road. Will the state contribute nothing to it? Because that seems odd.

[airhero]

Originally Posted by i-215

:

----

Also notice: A certain member of our community made fun of me for wanting to preserve the 200 W tunnel (I do not).

Guess what's in the plan? The same stinking tunnel!

----

I missed that. 200 W tunnel needs to go. That gaping hole from 100 S and South Temple is an eyesore. That’s a big concern with burying 300 W as well.

[ucsbgaucho]

Originally Posted by TheGeographer

Give me a ruler and some colored pencils and I’ll draw something better than the garbage IHC just put out. For being the largest company in the state with deep pockets they really couldn’t do better?

Well, seeing the big rebrand they unveiled last year with the Fiverr bubble-gum logo should give you all the info you need to realize this rendering was also not going to impress anyone.

[ucsbgaucho]

Originally Posted by Rileybo

I'm not entirely sure how an office tower and a lil hotel will strengthen the culture and influence of Japantown, but I believe the future will be an improvement over the current state of that street. I’m disappointed to see the Raddison and Fidelity remain untouched. That portion of South Temple blows.

I would assume that since those are owned by other companies that aren't necessarily agreeing to sell them to SEG for redevelopment, it would be premature for SEG to include those properties in any draft renderings. SEG doesn't have any control over them, although I would assume there are some discussions happening behind the scenes with the owners of them to try and include those properties eventually, or I hope there is. You're right, just going around those properties like the old man's house in the movie Up would be short-sighted, but they can't force those property owners to sell.

[ucsbgaucho]

Originally Posted by airhero

I missed that. 200 W tunnel needs to go. That gaping hole from 100 S and South Temple is an eyesore. That’s a big concern with burying 300 W as well.

Edit: Already discussed a few pages back.

---
I'm curious, could SEG work with the State to reroute 89 instead of spending the hundreds of millions to bury 300W for one block? Continue 89 north on State Street and then make a left on N Temple, then north again on 300W from there? Just avoid the DC area altogether? Then they could just cut off 300W between 100S and S Temple to make the pedestrian plaza.

[Comrade]

I'm so grateful some of you guys aren't in charge of downtown, especially those who don't have any skin in the game now because they not only live outside Salt Lake - they live outside Utah.

Nothing is ever going to be perfect but the status quo ain't working and hasn't worked for the last 50 years. I listened to Rocky last night rail against this deal and say the city could build something so much better in this area than what Smith has proposed and I was just left thinking, "okay, then why haven't they?"

It's such a dumb argument. That area of downtown has lacked cohesive commitment for as long as I've been alive. So, if it's so easy to get things done there without incentivizing private enterprises, why the hell has the city been unable to get tangible change in that area on their own? They've had how many decades to radically change that area of downtown and they haven't done it. Not even in the least.

So, when some of you shout that this is all just a boondoggle and hint the city should tell Ryan Smith to go pound sand, what the hell is your plan?

Because as long as I've been alive, in terms of transformative development downtown, I can count on one hand who's invested in that type of development:

1. The LDS Church with the City Creek area.

2. The Federal Government with Gateway by funding the project through the Brownfield clean ups.

I guess you can add The Ritchie Group if the West Quarter is fully seen through fruition.

That's it.

So, why anyone feels the alternative is better is beyond me.

What's funny is that those who are ready to dismiss Ryan are likely creating conditions that will directly lead to the dismissal of things they purport to care about, like the Utah Symphony. We know Abravanel Hall likely needs some renovations. Without this project initiating that, in a decade or so, their conditions will only worsen. If the shift is now at the Point, where Ryan has built a state of the art arena for the Jazz and the NHL team, who's to say the county doesn't decide to build a new hall out there? Could never happen, right?

Well remember just how close Salt Lake came to losing the Broadway theater to Sandy...

[nushiof]

I endorse the above message