Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[Makid]

I think that when Sandy got the soccer stadium, they decided that they were able to compete on every level with Salt Lake City.

Since the stadium deal we have learned:

The aquarium is looking at a permanent home in Sandy.
A developer wants to build a Broadway Theater in Sandy.
A developer wants to build possibly 2 30 story buildings in Sandy.

It was like Sandy said "We got the stadium, that means we are a real city now. Let's get some more things a real city wants but lets do it bigger to show that we are better." I think that the majority of Salt Lake County understand the need for a vibrant Downtown and that if something of the scale that is being planned for Sandy were to happen, it would not only harm Downtown, but it would hurt the region.

Sandy doesn't have a transit plan. They don't have the infrastructure for a development of this scale. They are looking at the potential revenue and status without looking at the costs that will be needed to support this.

I do hope that Wasatch Partners gets the ball rolling on their planned buildings for Downtown as well as CCR for the mystery tower. I would be willing to bet that there is more demand for office space in Downtown SLC then there is for anywhere in Sandy.

The name recognition, transit options, walkability, distance from the airport and infrastructure are so much better in SLC that I really have a hard time seeing this planned development happening in Sandy.

I think all of this "My City is better the Salt Lake" is getting to me. If cities want to build ToD's fine, but trying to build a new urban core when one already exists Downtown is just crazy imo.

Okay, rant over. Back to work for me.

[delts145]

Just a little trivia for your perusal

[urbanboy]

I really hope they find another place to put this mystery glass tower. I quite like the buildings on that corner, and there are parking lots just waiting to be developed. I especially don't want them to tear down both the building that house Ah Sushi and the other building that looks like a fortress. It is so interesting and could make a really cool museum of some sort. I have a few ideas for it myself if I become ridiculously wealthy. that is if "the Church" will sell it to me. I really hope they do not mess with any of the buildings on Main Street that have so much character, unless they are restoring them. Otherwise, I think they should put all their high-rise buildings on State Street, West Temple or Second East, unless there is an available parking lot on Main Street that needs to be filled anyway.

I'd rather they build on the south west corner of State Street and first south. Tear those buildings down; they don't interact with the street well, and their architecture is boring. Also, a new high-rise building on that corner would be conveniently located next to that giant parking garage on regent street.

[SLC Projects]

Two 30-story towers in Sandy? I didn't even see this one coming. I don't think any of us did.

Watching that news story it sound like that these developers just came up with the idea and now sharing it with the sandy city council. This makes me wounder how did this get leaked out in the first place. These kinds of projects takes YEARS just to plan them out. This is a big IF here.
This might just be to big of a bite even for Sandy City. I mean Sandy has a 10-story building as the city's tallest. That's a big jump for one 10 story building to 2 30-story building ( one 60-story building all together. ) Plus Sandy already has tons of new five story office buildings going up everywhere.
I'm all for Sandy to built taller buildings, but 2 30-stories buildings might be too much within only five years. But I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.
But nevertheless Salt Lake City is still in the lead for a new tallest. The 35-40 story Glass tower as well as a 33-story tower have been in the planning stages for at least a year if not longer.
But this does seem like a race now...Lehi getting a 45-story to be utah tallest and now Sandy could be getting 2 30-story tower as the state's new tallest. As well as Salt Lake, but in the end say if ALL these towers would get built only ONE city will have the tallest. Not sure which city that would be.

[Dallas Snob]

So, I assume that 222 Main is dead? Nothing seems to have happened there for a while. Not the typical constructon for a highrise if you ask me. It;s not a major project by any sense. They should have started pouring by now. Typical Hamilton. Lots of hype. No balls.

[Viperlord]

hamilton partners tower is still going. There was an article a week ago in the news about the tower. The developer says site prep is taking awhile, but we should see it going vertical by the end of winter.

[Comrade]

I'm not too worried about the HP Tower, nor do I think Sandy will be getting the tallest building in the state.

[SLCforme]

This would irritate me greatly if it were to happen, but I am definitely skeptical at this point. I think Sandy is trying to bite off more than they can chew, and there is no question that they are crooked and greedy. We'll just have to wait and see

[T-Mac]

Just went past the old gravel pit in North Salt Lake and they have lots of heavy machinery moving lots of dirt for the Eaglewood Village. Good to see all the activity.

[millhouse]

I understand wanting the towers downtown. I personally would love to see them downtown. But why are we slandering the developer here? If I had the opportunity to build a beautiful building for the betterment of any community and Sandy offered me an unbelievable deal to put it in their city. I would do it. The fact of the matter is costs are costs. If I can lower my price per sqft build out I'd do it.

[leerjet]

We just need to give developers more incentives to build downtown.

[jedikermit]

Yeah, I don't blame Sandy, or the developers. Sure, Tom Dolan is a dick, but if anything it's SLC that needs to step up and make some kind of bait to get developers (and buildings, and employers, and workers, and money) into downtown.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by leerjet

We just need to give developers more incentives to build downtown.

That really is the answer. Incentives,(a comprehensive package aimed at corporations and their offices to locate downtown.) It would perhaps mean that some of the focus of downtown would perhaps shift to the south because of available space. Here's a question, How would you guys feel about a concentration of towers popping up between State and West Temple, and 7th and 8th South?

[SLCforme]

I wouldn't mind that so much. Having different districts downtown is great. Often the part of downtowns with most of the tallest buildings are not the places with the happening nightlife and cultural amenities. It's the difference between the business district and the cultural district.

[leerjet]

Precisely. I think we've seen alot of that in other successful cities... Look at the financial district in lower Manhatten or San Fran. The financial districts mostly shut down at night where other areas light up.

[leerjet]

On another note, I guess the small businesses better enjoy things downtown while they last... especially before the Skybridge...

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=2316662

Some interesting stuff in there. Without crossroads and the ZCMI center for competition they've been thriving. I hope we don't lose some of our mom & pop shops when the CCC is done, it would be great if there is some way they could continue to thrive after completion of the new mall.

[Viperlord]

construction update for one and nine condos

[TimeSaltlake]

I still don't see a real threat to downtown. like SLCforme said, "nightlife." Look at Sandy. It is not commuter friendly and the way they are going about things, It wont be. Yes there is a mall, and soon our aquarium and theater but they will all be "drive to" locations. Some one gave and example about west valley before. Sure theres a stadium, hotels, etc... but a real downtown connects everything. You can walk from the Arena to the Gateway or catch the trax to Temple Square (a plus having Downtown), the soon to be CCC, Convention Center, Hotels, must I go on. These Satelite cities might try to mimic CBD's but they are not. The same would be so if they built a Mall and a new Highest in the international center (they were going to build a mall there once). Plus, Salt lake needs to get off their but.

[Scraperdude801]

yes but they take the county money and it hurts salt lake.

[Wasatch_One]

Of note, it is 3 in the morning and I hope I am capable of forming coherent thoughts

I think Salt Lake City can learn a lesson from Provo.

This same thing has been happening to Provo for some time (losing many projects to its much smaller suburbs)

It all started with the University Mall getting built in Orem in the early 1970's... It took Provo leaders probably 25 years to figure out the whole lure developers with incentives.

Provo had a declining tax base from that point through the 1980's and then finally they figured it out (well, partially) in the mid -1990's.

The developers of the Riverwoods lifestyle center (as theyre called today) were lured by incentives. The the Provo Towne Centre mall... yes, the PTC mall is not the greatest gift to the city, but from what they learned with these two projects I think have really contributed to the boom that we are seeing downtown as we speak.

After a slow early few years beginning 2000, Orem proposed an 8 story 300+ unit mixed-use building. I remember talking to the developers back in 2002 asking them why this wasnt being built in Provo where it seemed it would make more sense. The guy I was talking with told me, "Provo leaders would never approve something like this..."

I honestly believe that this single project was the straw that broke the camels back... Provo leaders scrambled to have something comparable to the Midtown Village that was just proposed in Orem.

Provo combated this proposal with one of their own, about a year later; Wells Fargo Center.


I believe this is when City leaders really, fully figured it out upon completion of the 7 story mixed use Wells Fargo Center in 2005. This is when leaders and developers alike saw that Provo's core still had huge amounts of potential after decades of neglect.

The city threw in millions of dollars for the parking structure attached to the WFC. It became a boon for the downtown core increasing free parking as well and the first mixed type development of that size in the city's history. This incentive that the city offered, made this project work.

After seeing that the city offered this type of help, other developers have moved on projects in the downtown core. One of these, the 10 story Zions Bank Financial Center

...has already completed demolition and will be breaking ground within weeks. The city negotiated a deal with the Provo City School district to make this project work. A few million dollars in incentives are being thrown the developers way to make sure this works.

There is also the new 10 story University Tower

...that will be breaking ground in the next few months that is also benefiting from the Wells Fargo Ctr parking structure that the city pitched in on, making it a viable project for the developer.

I know for sure that the Zions project developer was considering a suburb or downtown Provo for this tower. Provo won, obviously... I am happy for the most part on the adaptation the city leaders have been able to make in order to keep Provo the center of business in Utah County.