Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[OneWingLow]

I had to register here to do it-- but I wanted to chip in with my two-cents on the "Jetson's Building." I agree that it's ugly now-- but I couldn't believe it when I read here what it was. That used to be one the most beautiful buildings in Salt Lake. At Christmas time (in the sixties) out family would go out of our way (we lived in Ogden) to see this building with its holiday decorations. It was amazing. Seeing it like this is awful. On the other hand, I lurk on this forum to see just how much of the heart of the old Salt Lake and Ogden has been removed. Looks like over 80% and climbing. Oh well...

SLC seems to go through "spasms" of building that have no real reason except to stimulate the local economy. Many of the buildings that are now being raised were shiny and new in the eighties. Every twenty years, rip out the old and put up new stuff that is scheduled for demolition in twenty more years. So-- a suggestion.

Zippers.

[ski_steve]

I like both of the buildings, but if they proposed the right kind of tower for the location, I would have no problem with them leaving. I dont think that the glass tower should be in this location if it looks anything like that model. Chances are it wont look very much like it. Salt Lake needs a more iconic tower and this glass one probably isnt it.

[arkhitektor]

Some pics of construction on the Birkhill Development at the 4500 S. TRAX Station in Murray:









This building is the first of several mid-rise condos, offices, townhomes, and brownstone-style live/work rowhouses that will eventually be built there.

http://www.hamlethomes.com/communities/profile.aspx?cid=18

[RC14]

^ The Rendering makes that building look somewhat out of place on that site.

[Viperlord]

found this while surfing the web.... it was on display at a local lego show


sorry the pics are so large.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by stevena07

I like both of the buildings, but if they proposed the right kind of tower for the location, I would have no problem with them leaving. I dont think that the glass tower should be in this location if it looks anything like that model. Chances are it wont look very much like it. Salt Lake needs a more iconic tower and this glass one probably isnt it.

That's true we don't really know what the tower will look like. It's really hard to say unto we see a rendering. But that's still a few years away. I hope there will be street level retail on the base of the tower. That would help that part of main street.

[urbanboy]

Why cant it go somewhere else, where there is a need for infill?

[delts145]

With the advent of City Creek coming in the very near future, that particular strip along 1st South has become extremely valuable. It is probably one of the most coveted strips of real estate in the region. That corner, now occupied by Bennion Jewelers has prime development potential for a major tower. There are only two structures which are sacred as far as their future existance along that stretch of 1st so.,between State and West Temple. One of course, would be the historic Zions Bank, which doesn't mean it won't be moved somewhat. It will stay intact as a structure, but don't expect it to stay in exactly the same location. The other structure, which will remain, would be the small red sandstone structure, nestled between Bennion and The Deseret News building. However, only expect that to become an incorporation of a much larger building,(perhaps,facade only). The facade of that little sandstone jewel is in desperate need of cleaning and major repair.

While I do think that the Bennion is a handsome building, I am not in favor of sacrificing a major iconic tower in order to keep it. The Bennion is a remake of a remake, of a remake. It's historical significance as an architectural icon, has long been lost. I would take an attractive, iconic tower of 40 or more stories over the oft-remodeled Bennion any day. No, I wouldn't be so dismissive about the Walker Center or any one of a few dozen other structures downtown, such as Shubrick.

If we really want density and height, then that particular location on the corner of 1st and Main is one of the most ideal downtown, from a developers perspective.

Twenty or thirty years from now, there will be a much longer list of options for a developer to place a new tallest, as far as getting back a dollar return. Right now, City Creek makes those corners on First and Main the Hottest Spots for Class A development of a 'New Tallest Kind.'

[delts145]

Mining may trump development

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695260106,00.html

.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

Some pics of construction on the Birkhill Development at the 4500 S. TRAX Station in Murray:









This building is the first of several mid-rise condos, offices, townhomes, and brownstone-style live/work rowhouses that will eventually be built there.

http://www.hamlethomes.com/communities/profile.aspx?cid=18

Wow I didn't know the Fairclay project was this far along already. Wasn't it about a month ago when crews had the ground breaking for this project? It just seem like this building just poped out of nowhere. It's funny I was building on the I-15 a few weeks ago and I notice a big wooden building getting built. I was woundering what it was. I Know about the Fairclay project, but I just didn't put the two together.
Over all I like the idea of the project, but there's two things I don't like.
1. I think there should of been underground parking. Sure it takes longer, but it's worth it in the end. Sure the parking lots will be hiden in the rear, but that's still going to be a big parking lot.
2. I don't like that it's maked out of wood. Just like the "Metro" in downtown Salt Lake the building should be maked out of steel beams.
Other then that I like this project. At least on the streets it will feel more urban.

[T-Mac]

Photos from today.

Oddfellows Hall getting ready for her move.








Broadway Park Lofts








Church History Building

[T-Mac]

Here is another one I took while downtown. Recently renovated Walker Bank Building with the tower crane from City Creek Center in the upper left corner.

[Future Mayor]

I disagree with you delts, and agree with UrbanBoy on this one. I don't think the little Zions bank building will move from that spot, EVER! I also don't see any need to remove the Bennion Jewelers building or the Prudential Bank(jetsons) building, there is the HUGE parking lot that UrbanBoy has mentioned over and over that could easily be home of the new tallest Iconic skyscraper for the city. I wouldn't anticipate seeing two really tall towers on that corner so bennion and prudential should be safe.

[Scraperdude801]

I agree with you Delts for the most part.

Future Mayor you may want to note that although you are saying you agree with Urbanboy, you actually aren't. He said that he would rather have the Zions building MOVED than see the jetson or beenon jewelers gone for a tower.

If we are talking about moving or demolishing buildings I would rather see the police station that isn't worth saving (although many argued it was historic disregarding the fact that their is very little history left to it.) to be demolished, and then the jetsons if we are talking about a need to make room for towers. Rather than see the historic Zions bank building moved for a tower just to keep the bennon jewelers building. ... However this debate is nonsense, we all know, and have all stated that the surface parking lot should be the first place for a new tower. Keep the buildings, get rid of surface parking. The rest was just basically a list of who would rather see what go first if more towers came and needed more space according to the current layout of the block and the urbanboy envisioned arts district. ... To make my point clear - I would rather see second rate buildings like the police station, jetsons building, bennon jewelers etc. etc. go than to see something that is as stunning as the zions bank building, the sandstone we all love, walker center, the lambs cafe building, the playhouse, the kearns building, etc go if more than one tower were coming for those blocks between state street and west temple and 200 south and 100 s. ... We all know that those areas will be hot areas for development with an emerging arts district and CCC right there. Ultimately the first choice before demolishing ANY building, let's build on the SURFACE PARKING AND AT ALL COSTS PRESERVE THE HISTORY THAT WE ALL AGREE IS STILL INTACT!

[delts145]

Zions bank is one instance where I hope you're right Future Mayor. However, I'm really not a big fan of the Bennion building. It's simply okay IMO. If it were to be replaced by an iconic new tallest on that corner, I would be okay with seeing it go.

Although sure, as Scaperdude pointed out, if the new tallest could be accomodated on a nearby parking lot or West of the Zions Bank that would be great.

[DMTower]

I don't see why they couldn't just build right over the zions bank building... it wouldn't be too hard for them to incorporate the northeast sides of the facade into a new skyscraper and excavate everything behind. They could even duplicate the interior of the old bank in that portion of the new tower

[UTvision]

I am a little confused. Where did the idea of a new tallest being built where the Benion Jewelers building is? Is this a newer idea (in the last year or so)?

I know that E&H Investments had plans to demolish the Prudential Savings Building (The Jetsons building) and other nearby buildings to build a new tallest in 2002. They went bankrupt and the property nearly forclosed. That ruined all their plans.

I say lets save the Prudential Building and rename it the Jetsons Building in honor of Urbanboy .

Wouldn't there be room around the Zions Bank for a new theater? I think this would be a great location for the new Broadway style Theatre.

Also, I found this photo of the by the police building, pantages, ect.

from Utah Historical Society

[urbanboy]

Originally Posted by Scraperdude801

Future Mayor you may want to note that although you are saying you agree with Urbanboy, you actually aren't. He said that he would rather have the Zions building MOVED than see the jetson or beenon jewelers gone for a tower.

Oi, I was only implying the possibility. I would rather see these buildings just stay where they are. We have an abundance of surface parking lots, build on those.
Also, I was arguing that the old police station is historic for the mere fact of it's location on historic Main Street. I thought there might be a possibility of an intact historic facade. But I don't think we should even contemplate tearing it down, unless we have solid plans for a replacement. Also, I'm not a fan of "facade-ectomies" and believe them to degrade the nature and character of the building to which it is applied. Furthermore, scraperdude, I would argue that the "Jetson Building" (which name was originally coined by scraperdude) is stunning.

[Future Mayor]

Obviously Main Street is and always will be the heart of the city, but I would envision that as the city continues to mature that the skyscrapers will move out from Main Street. I still think that a new tallest will be built somewhere along 100 S and or Main (hopefully on the empty surface lots), this would definetly help to fill in the gap in the skyline from the western view.

Once we have that hole in the skyline filled, I would like to see the skyline extend further south and east to west. It would be great to have a wider skyline as you approach the city from the south on I-15. For instance a new skyscraper on State and 400 S, the Cowboy Partners building on State and 100 S, and the WTC on 200 S and State, all would do wonders to not only fill in the density from the east and west view but to expand the skyline from the southern view.

So here's my wish list. The new CCC towers (32, 20, and 19 stories), 222 S Main(22 or whatever it is), I'm going to call it the 'Arts District Tower' on the surface lots behind Zions (hopefully 40+ stories), Cowboy Partners (35-40+), WTC (35-40+), State and 400 S, I'm going to call it City Center II (and hope for 45+). Hell I'll even suggest a new Sinclair Tower Earl Holdings 400 S parking lot, lets say another (35+). That's my wish list for the next 10-15 years.

As for the new vs restored historic theater. I was at an event on Saturday at a beautiful restored theater in the heart of downtown, and my date commented how much more enhanced of an experience it is to attend such an event at a historic theater as opposed to a new theater of comparable size in another city in which she had attended several shows. Or maybe it was just the company that she was with that made it more enjoyable.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Originally posted by T-Mac

The Wells Fargo Tower is possibly my favorite building in Downtown SLC. Am I the only one the wished it were about 15+ stories taller, it would be even better at 40-45+ stories. I would have no problem having a 45 story Wells Fargo Tower be our Iconic tallest.