Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[alphawolf]

Looks like somebody spilt some paint on a map and said that's a good spot. There is a decent amount of leapfrogging in the central portion of the map.

[Viperlord]

for those who may be interested.

[Comrade]

I'd rather do it during the day, since it would be mighty hard taking night photos from up there.

[Sight-Seer]

It's interesting how Kennecott ended up owning just about the whole west mountain and western side of the valley. I'd like to know what they paid per acre. Then they discover there's gold there, that is,the cash people are shelling out to live there. I wonder if there's any way to develop the open-pit mine after they quit taking copper out. Residents would have an interesting view of their neighbors on the other side of the pit. I guess the "40,000 undevelopable acres" would be the Oquirrh's, where it's too steep to build.

Regarding the picture with all the roads: there's a big difference between the Salton Sea and western Salt Lake county, which is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country.

[Orlando]

FYI from The Enterprise:

'Miller Weingarten Realty LLC is moving forward with plans for an approximately 210,000 square foot retail development on just more than 18 acres at approximately 1120 S. 300 W., Salt Lake City.
The Englewood, Colo.-based firm met with city planners last week to discuss conditional use, landscape and signage standards, but so far, no tenants have yet been signed.
Chad Nielson a project manager with CLC Associates, said Target is a potential anchor tenant for the project, which has been named 300 West Town Center. Plans call for there to be three additional mid-box retailers in the complex, in addition to smaller shops and pad sites fronting 300 West. Target would take roughly 140,000 square feet.
“We do have the parcels under control, pending entitlements,” said Rob Beery, vice president of design and entitlement for Miller Weingarten. “We’re under contract, but all the contracts are deependent on us receiving our entitlements from Salt Lake.”
Miller Weingarten is purchasing seven parcels from various buyers to create the development, which will force the relocation of a number of companies, among them Young Electric Sign Co., Swirl Woodcraft and Semi Services.
“We’re working with them to help provide some locations for some of the smaller users,” Beery said. “YESCO and Semi Service are out looking for their own parcels right now.”
Beery said Miller Weingarten hopes to obtain necessary city approvals next month.
“We’re in the middle of trying to identify the timing” for the businesses that will have to relocate, he said. “We're not able to take possession and start anything until they’ve already relocated.” '

[millhouse]

Coming from someone in the industry this project most likely won’t happen. The funding is not there, the developer is scraping for pennies while the project is in the developmental stage.

[delts145]

New Grocery Chain Expanding Into The Metro

Sunflower Markets to bloom in Utah / Stores to offer natural foods, bargain prices

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695237231,00.html

Sunflower Farmers Markets, a low-price grocery alternative to Whole Foods and Wild Oats, will plant a few stores in Utah as it expands throughout the West.



Sunflower Farmers Market

..

[enjo13]

Sunflower market is seriously the greatest thing to ever happen. Quality stuff at like half the price of Whole Foods. I live in Denver and shop there daily. Good for you guys

[delts145]

Utah's business climate grabs top spot

http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_7765762


It doesn't get much better than this for economic developers trying to market Utah as a site for corporate expansion.

State economic developers in the Beehive State could hardly contain their glee. Such reports often are used by site selectors and corporate executives researching possible sites in which to expand or relocate businesses.
"Without question, they are looking at these types of reports," said Jason Perry, GOED director. "These reports show that things are working here in Utah, that businesses can be very successful here."


..

[PhxSprawler]

Originally Posted by Orlando

FYI from The Enterprise:

.... Target is a potential anchor tenant for the project, which has been named 300 West Town Center. Plans call for there to be three additional mid-box retailers in the complex, in addition to smaller shops and pad sites fronting 300 West. Target would take roughly 140,000 square feet.

Pardon my rant, but the growing trend of calling strip malls "Town Centers" throughout the country really pisses me off. That area of SLC could become attractive with some mixed use. Put in a 2-story target with two floors of office above, and 3 floors of condos to top it off. Then, you can call it a "Town Center." I hope the city kills this in lieu of something more urban. That way, they can prevent tearing this down in 10 years at the ultimate expense of the tennants.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by PhxSprawler

Pardon my rant, but the growing trend of calling strip malls "Town Centers" throughout the country really pisses me off. That area of SLC could become attractive with some mixed use. Put in a 2-story target with two floors of office above, and 3 floors of condos to top it off. Then, you can call it a "Town Center." I hope the city kills this in lieu of something more urban. That way, they can prevent tearing this down in 10 years at the ultimate expense of the tennants.

Amen. I was just thinking the same thing this morning. Salt Lake City is getting far too many of these "Big Box Strip Mall developments" too close to downtown. I wish target would built a store downtown that will have two levels of the retail with like 5 levels of housing above it. And underground parking. Or something like that.

[Future Mayor]

It's been several days since I've posted and I've been going through withdrawl. I wouldn't mind seeing a Target in that neighborhood but I agree with PHX that it needs to be more urban in design (two levels) with some additional uses mixed in and not a see of surface parking.

It's been since July that I've actually set foot in SLC and it's nice to be back. It's great to finally witness the hole for 222 S Main with my own eyes.

The ED (economic development) article can do great things for the city, and state. If the state and city could lure a Fortune 500 company headquarters to downtown that could create a new highrise, if they could lure two to town that would be even better because often times they like to be the "biggest kid on the block" with the tallest building and could push each others buildings higher.

As for the Sandy tower (Dolan is a douche) company that want to lease in high rises do so for two reasons, generally. One is to be able to say "our office is in such and such of tower" recognition and prestige of location. The second is because it allows them to be around similar or supporting businesses. Just because some stupid ass developer wants to build two 30 story towers in Sandy doesn't mean they will be able to fill them with tenants. There isn't that sense of office community with two stand alone towers. Companies like to be downtown because that's were people are and that's were deals are made. SLC has a downtown daytime population of over 300,000, that creates networking opportunities. Those opportunities don't just happen because two tall buildings are built. With the current economic situation in the state and in the valley there is definitely a demand for the office space that two 30 story towers would put on the market, but the absorption rate of those in Sandy will be nowhere near what they would be in downtown. Once the developer does some research the numbers will tel the story.

ok I'm done, again it's nice to be able to wonder around the city today and see all the projects.

[Sight-Seer]

I have to disagree with some recent posts. I live a mile from the proposed Target location. There is a need for Targets and Wal-Marts in Salt Lake City. People can't shop for the necessities in fancy specialty stores and mixed-use developments. There is (the proposed) Harmons on 1st South, but that's an experiment that has yet to be proven will work -- or even built. The 3rd West corridor is an ideal location. It's near the freeway. It's close to downtown, but not too close. Plus 3rd West is pretty awful. I'm just waiting impatiently for someone to buy out Schmidt Signs on the corner of 3rd and 13th. That's got to be the most hideous corner in Salt Lake. The city should require future big-boxes to make their parking lots in the interior of blocks with an attractive building next to the street. Wal-Mart was an attempt at this but the resulting wall is too big and blank. It should have had some variations in height with some fake windows or something. The Lowes parking lot is an example of what not to do.

Salt Lake City is very in favor of Target. They've been looking for a location for years. I think they plan on finding a location and then entice Target to build there.

[PhxSprawler]

Originally Posted by Sight-Seer

I have to disagree with some recent posts. I live a mile from the proposed Target location. There is a need for Targets and Wal-Marts in Salt Lake City. People can't shop for the necessities in fancy specialty stores and mixed-use developments. There is (the proposed) Harmons on 1st South, but that's an experiment that has yet to be proven will work -- or even built. The 3rd West corridor is an ideal location. It's near the freeway. It's close to downtown, but not too close. Plus 3rd West is pretty awful. I'm just waiting impatiently for someone to buy out Schmidt Signs on the corner of 3rd and 13th. That's got to be the most hideous corner in Salt Lake. The city should require future big-boxes to make their parking lots in the interior of blocks with an attractive building next to the street. Wal-Mart was an attempt at this but the resulting wall is too big and blank. It should have had some variations in height with some fake windows or something. The Lowes parking lot is an example of what not to do.

Salt Lake City is very in favor of Target. They've been looking for a location for years. I think they plan on finding a location and then entice Target to build there.

I'm not saying Target shouldn't build there, I just think it shouldn't be the typical suburban store. It should be a structure the store and citizens are proud of- like the Macy's in New York and San Francisco, or the McDonalds in London and Las Vegas. Chains can re-design to fit an atmosphere too!

[strippadam]

What do you mean the proposed Harmons. The Harmons is part of the City Creek Center and i have never heard of any delay or problems with it being built. In fact last week my HOA (The Belvedere) had a meeting to talk about the new impact of traffic and crunch of visiting parking stalls with the new development. Though i agree that i would love a Target like the ones in Downtown Minneapolis or Downtown Chicago, the fact that we are getting one is good enough for me at this piont. As well as i believe it will help to stir more real estate development and restoration between 900 South and 2100 South. 300 West is becoming a retail cooridor which could provide for a lot of housing on West Temple, Main St, and inbetween. Mixing this kinds of development together i feel will only help impact and provide more options for downtown!

[delts145]

Harmons is definately a reality downtown, as part of City Creek. L.A. just opened it's first full service grocery store in the heart of downtown, and it has been a huge success. It is helping a great deal in encouraging further high-rise condo development in the surrounding area also.

[Sight-Seer]

It's "proposed" until they start construction. I don't see evidence of anything happening there in the near future. A grocery store downtown is risky. Does anybody remember the the one in the Wells Fargo building? If you don't it's because it came and went so fast. People are going to expect the same thing as at other Harmons: plenty of parking, easy access, everything in one place. Otherwise they won't bother to drive there. I think Harmons is getting big concessions, maybe free rent for five years or something. The design isn't fixed until they start building. You can see that from the way other elements of project keep changing. They already dropped one of the anchor stores.

[Scraperdude801]

the Harmons will have plenty of parking right in front of it. In that 13 story parking structure that is being built on social hall ave (the existing social hall ave). When they proposed that to the city they specifically brought up harmons and requested that they not be expected to have street retail on the parking structure so that the patrons of harmons could have easy access to parking right in front of the grocery store. A very different situation that wells fargo ... economics, location, parking, etc. ... I really think that this harmons will work. I live in the brigham apartments and myself, and all of the residents that I know in my building are excited to shop at harmons. ... and having residential on top of harmons a 17 story tower on one side, and a 40 story tower on the other side will only help the grocery store. ... I think the harmons is what adds great lure to both of those towers. ... The other grocery stores that are around the downtown area are kind of a pain because they aren't in downtown like Smiths market place on 4th S. and 6th E. and the Smiths on 6th Ave. and F street and albertsons on 2nd south and 4th east. (this albertsons is horrible by the way... worse selection ever)

[delts145]

Agreed Scraperdude, Also the Wells Fargo Market was a tiny fraction of size,convenience,competitive pricing,and overall product availability of what this full-service Harmons will be. Even Caputo's over on 300 south is a much more attractive market than the situation was at Wells Fargo. There will be thousand's of office workers and hundred's of new residents in and around this store's vicinity, that will find it very convenient for shopping. Again, not only convenience, but product availability and pricing that will compete strongly with the full-service,suburban grocery store.

[jedikermit]

Yeah, the Wells Fargo store was always a joke...basically a convenience store. With the attendant overpricing and poor selection. If Harmon's does it right, it'll be a great asset. I know when we lived in the Avenues, the choices were limited to the ones listed above--and we always went to the Smiths by default, because it was convenient. It would have been nice to have a good alternative. Harmon's has a very good chance in that location.