Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[Scraperdude801]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Let's be honest here, the only think not impressive about the Arrowpress building is the new side they added on the south wall. Outside of that, the building is still in pretty good shape and could ultimately be reused for something better than it currently is. And the Blue Iguana building, well I think it's pretty awesome looking.

Yeah I totally agree these statements. I love the Bennihana/Blue Iguana building (and both the restaraunts) the brick, the vines that grow all over it, and the little blue lighted and glass enclosed stairwell down to blue iguana. I think that building oozes with charm. ... The arrowpress square is a good building and could have a lot of reuses. the only problem is the south wall (which unfortunately is one of the most noteable sides of it) ... I also think that sign "The Ass Factory" should be saved just because it is funny as hell.

This block still has plenty of room for a theater district while saving some buildings. That grass lawn area, although nice, is rarely uses, and that parking garage/ lighting and power building is a great location for a new convention hotel.

just my thoughts... There are other buildings that I am interested to see what lies beneath their facades, but some that honestly I wouldn't make a fuss to see go if it means a new tower and a better designed theater district. Sometimes the cost of rennovating a historic building outweigh the cost of a new building, and since the city is soliciting developers and financial partners for this development we kind of need to pick our battles. ... I do think that the blue iguana and bennihana building fit very well into the theme of an arts and cultural district however, and the arrowpress building could have great reuses.




BTW Thanks Wasatch One for helping me out with posting pictures!

[Salty Laker]

Originally Posted by Wasatch_One

Salty... great to have you here and finally a bonafide Ogden resident on our board! Its about time Ogden! ...oh, and you mentioned "queen" ...do we have a female on our urban board?

You do.

And about my "avatar," airhero asked. The sign originally said "Behead Those Who Insult Islam." If I'm correct, that sign was written in all seriousness, but Islam was changed to Mormons as a joke, thanks to my brother. So it is not to be offensive or taken seriously, so nobody has to worry.

Anyways, this is a cool thread, I don't think I will contribute to it much, but I like to comment on things, so I decided to create an account.

I love you all!!! -I like this smiley

[delts145]

Yes, a Woman!!! How cool is that!!! Hey, I hope you'll contribute often, cause we're all big Ogden fans. It has been pretty exciting to see all of the cool things happening up there lately. I was up there for work a couple of weeks ago, and took the 89 from Farmington to Ogden. What a beautiful topography. I could easily enjoy living up there.

[urbanboy]

Here is what I'd like to see happen:
I've followed the same color coding as City Creek Center for the different uses...
Yellow: Residential and Automobile Access (lines)
Blue: Office
Red: Anchors
Pink: Street Level Retail, Specialty Shops, and Galleries
Green: Hospitality and Pedestrian Access (lines)

[SLCforme]

I like it Urbanboy! The only thing I would change is that I am not sure about turning 1st S. into a curving street between W Temple and Main. I would rather preserve sight lines in that part of downtown. I also think that the Grid system in downtown is distinctive and gives SLC part of its character, very orderly and convenient, and speaks much to the people who founded the city. I am not saying that I love it or that is they way I would have done it, I am just saying that it is part of what SLC is and I would not change it.

[Future Mayor]

I like it too. What about swapping the Hotel and the large theater, to get the hotel just a little closer to the SP?

[delts145]

^^^
I say switch the hotel and theatre, leave Arrowpress Square alone, except for suggested improvements, and tear down that stupid parking garage on the corner of 2nd and W. Temple, if they need more room for a magnificent hotel. Hey, if this is going to be the mother of all hotels,(kind of like our library is exceptional) then get rid of that damn parking garage, as Comrade previously suggested.

[jedikermit]

Okay, the more I see of Arrowpress, you guys are convincing me. And anything would be better than that horrible parking structure.

[T-Mac]

Just curious, but you guys do know that that horrible parking structure everyone is talking about is also an office building. There are offices on the top floors. There is or used to be a CPA office in their that a few of my friends worked at. I agree, tear it down, but everyone keeps referring to it as a parking garage and I didn't know if people knew about the offices.

I got my Enterprise newspaper today and there isn't much in this one. The only article worth really mentioning is the new townhome rental project to be built in Sany's Quarry Bend by Cowboy Partners. It looks to be 3 levels and no townhomes will be on top or bottom of each other but only side by side. It will be located at 9200 South and 1000 East in Sandy. (Our favorite city, LOL). This is going to be a "top of the market product." The are gearing it for the "lifestyle renter". Each unit will have 9 foot ceilings. It is called Liberty Bend. Average rent will be $1,000 per month with units ranging from $800 to $1,400. Construction is to start in the next 3 months and take 14 months to build.

The other headlines are that homes sales increased in February. I think we all knew this already. Springville is going to get its very first coffee shop called Art City Coffee. Provo College getting its second Utah County campus in the North Pointe Business Park.

Thats about it.

[airhero]

Wow, urbanboy, I really like that. I especially like all the street level retail. If that is what those two blocks become in the future, I will jump up and down with joy!!!

[RFPCME]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Well I never said save everything and anything that is old. There are two buildings in Arrowpress Square that I think are worth saving. The first, which is the main building itself and the second which is over on the south-side, where the Blue Iguana is now located. To me, that building is worth saving.









To me, if done right, this area could be really kickass. The problem is, right now it sucks and because of that, people are open to tearing it down just for the sake of a hotel. I don't like that.

Comrade:

Once again, you continue to impress. I was wrong. Your pictures make the point perfectly. The Arrowpress building and area should be preserved. I guess I temporarily lost sanity because of the picture of the building from the south, as Urban Boy so correctly pointed out, with the horrible windows added in the late 60's or early 70's.

You are also correct that the area, if done correctly, could be a nice counterpoint to the certain high-rise glass and steel that will tower over it.

It must have been a long day because I am very agreeable tonight (or I accidentally took a double-dose of my meds). I, too, think the parking garage on 2nd S. and West Temple (aka, Bank of Utah, GE Med. Systems, et cetera) should go away. But I wonder, even with the removal of the parking garage, if there is enough room for a convention-sized hotel, which I assume would be around 1,000 rooms (think Little America Grand).

Another question is what brand would go on that hotel, which will help determine the size. I've always thought SLC was ready for a Hyatt, but with the immitation Hyatt going in at the Gateway, I suspect that possibility is gone. The Little America Grand rules out the other high-end names, such as the Ritz, Intercontinental, and Four Seasons. I don't think SLC can support two 5-star hotels. Maybe a Westin, but their hallmark is Oz-like architecture, which would be terrible in that location. Maybe a Loews but I suspect if the Lehi tower ever gets built, that will be the name on the hotel.

Personally, I would prefer to see an art-decco-like Marriott go in that space (think the Marriott in San Francisco). The architectural contrast would be stunning against the modernism of the convention center, Wells Fargo building, and the rather bland new tower a 222 S. Main. I've suspected there has always been something afoot with the Marriott corporation in downtown SLC, although they already have two hotels there, one which is an eyesore the other pedestrian, especially with its close ties to local culture. I've wondered why the last of the Crossroads nightmares, the original downtown Marriott, escaped the wrecking ball. Possibly the plan, all along, was to do something bigger and better on a larger piece of property just to the south and sell the existing building to another chain.

[urbanboy]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I like it too. What about swapping the Hotel and the large theater, to get the hotel just a little closer to the SP?

I'm concerned switching the two would not allow enough space for the large theater. The foyer would need to be substantially reduced. The Capitol is trying to expand theirs. Also, these two parcels are similar distances to the front doors of the convention center. Visitors will be closer to the core, but still have very good sight lines of the convention center.

[SLC Projects]

Ok I think the more I do research on this project the more I'm starting to like it. When Comrade first posted the rendering I posted that I didn't like it and that it look ugly. However I think i'm going to take that back. I was reading in the papers today about this project and found out some cool facts about it.



1. Architects in the emerging field of shipping-container housing believe it will be the first building of its kind in Utah and the tallest such structure in the nation.

2.The building is scheduled to be completed in March 2009.

3. Designed to be stacked up to nine high on freighters without toppling in heavy seas, the containers fit together like enormous Lego bricks, which makes construction quick. Their rugged steel walls also make them durable, termite-proof and fire-resistant.

4. They're practically bomb-proof,

5. Orange shipping containers will be stacked on alternating stories with steel-and-glass frames inbetween. A standard unit will be three containers wide - about 24 feet - with finished (not exposed steel) walls, concrete floors, energy-efficient windows and radiant heat. Half the building, by weight, will be constructed from recycled materials

6. The City Center Lofts will contain eight residential condo units of varying sizes, one of them a penthouse.

With that said I think this project could become a Landmark for the city. So therefor I'm cool with it now.

[delts145]

Agreed Projects, I think it might put alot of people off a little at first glance. I'm pretty excited to see it go up. I think, it will help to put some pizazz into the local design scene.

RFPCME, I'm hoping that if they put a convention hotel on West Temple, close to the Salt Palace, that whatever tight fit might be necessary would drive the structure upward. It would be great if it were a new tallest! A Hyatt would be appropriate as a convention hotel. The new Hyatt over at the Gateway is simply a smaller business niche and wouldn't negate a convention specific Hyatt. Most of the big names are taking the Mariott lead now and creating different types of lodging for specific niches, but under the same name. My only concern about Hyatt is that they have had kind of a lack luster design lately on their convention hotels. Whoever designs this hotel and whatever name goes on it, I would really hope that our downtown fathers would guide it toward a visionary design. Something along the same scale of awe as our new library. The Grand and Little America function as one giant, ultra luxe convention hotel. It's actually quite unusual these days outside of Vegas to have a hotel as large as the Grand, yet so luxurious. Even though the Holding properties are a great jewel in any cities crown, Scott Beck has been pretty vocal about the need to have a larger hotel next to the Palace. Hotels, such as The Four Seasons, The Ritz, W, and Pennisula are just around the corner for downtown. Much of that type of hotel would probably be built on a smaller boutique scale, such as the Monaco and will often be couched in a multi-use luxe type structure. Say for example, mixed condo/hotel. Along with retail like Sak's and Neiman's, the success of CCC will spur much of the high end interest in downtown Salt Lake. It's quite surprising really, the numbers of downtown visitors now, who are somewhat in the wealthy category. Salt Lake has a larger niche of wealthy tourists than many cities, because of the predictable yearly ski and outdoor enthusiast's crowd, the Sundance crowd, the multi-level crowds like NuSkin, and the many wealthy LDS out-of-towners who visit for General Conference. These are all huge draws which happen on a predictable, semi-annual and seasonal basis.

Looking again at Urbanboys plan, which I like, I'm thinking it wouldn't be a stretch for them to take both the theatre and the hotel plots for a large convention hotel. I say this because it's highly likely that they will put the theatre at the current arts center sight next to Abravanel Hall. Also, because of the Marriott family having a big pull with the local market, I wouldn't be surprised to see the original CCC Marriott change names, and a Marquis (New York) style Mariott go up downtown. Personally, I would like to see them mesh the Convention Hotel right on top of the Salt Palace. I think a tower following the design que's of the Palace,West Temple facade could be incredible. Leave Main and West Temple for the more boutique type hotel/condo mix.

Whatever the mix ends up being, these are pretty exciting times for Salt Lake City. This whole CCC development, and the continual expansion of TRAX and commuter rail, is generating a lot of excitement for new projects downtown.

[jedikermit]

Projects, I read the same articles, and it changed my mind too. I was trying to optimistic earlier, excited about the recycling component of the containers...but after reading more about it, I'm impressed. There's a lot of potential using those as building materials. And although I wouldn't want to live in that building myself, it will be quite a draw for sightseers, artists, and environmental design alike.

Plus, I really like Legos.

[Sight-Seer]

Getting back down to reality, why are so many projects being announced and then nothing happens? Some examples are Marmalade and Metro Park West. I drove past Market Station and couldn't see any activity, even though I read that demolition was going on. Market Station will be two blocks on each side of Main Street, right?

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Sight-Seer

Getting back down to reality, why are so many projects being announced and then nothing happens? Some examples are Marmalade and Metro Park West. I drove past Market Station and couldn't see any activity, even though I read that demolition was going on. Market Station will be two blocks on each side of Main Street, right?

Market Station will actually sit between State and Main and stretch from 2100 S down to the car dealership.

I LOVE this project. One reason I really like it is that it will create a larger demand for the Trolley system to Sugarhouse. While Sugarhouse is a large traffic generator of it's own, having this development will simply add to the need/demand.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by Sight-Seer

Getting back down to reality, why are so many projects being announced and then nothing happens? Some examples are Marmalade and Metro Park West. I drove past Market Station and couldn't see any activity, even though I read that demolition was going on. Market Station will be two blocks on each side of Main Street, right?

I always assume a lot of projects are announced as floating potential ideas, seeing if enough investors get onboard to make them really happen. Which is why we take everything with a grain of salt until we see steel rising. For example, with the Market Station project--I'm very excited about the potential there, but until I see them capping off that twenty story building, I'm not going to believe it. I want them to make me eat those words. And I want them to be delicious.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by Sight-Seer

Getting back down to reality, why are so many projects being announced and then nothing happens? Some examples are Marmalade and Metro Park West. I drove past Market Station and couldn't see any activity, even though I read that demolition was going on. Market Station will be two blocks on each side of Main Street, right?

In reality though Sight-Seer, other than a very small minority of the 55-60 projects, almost all are under construction, and many are just now wrapping up on completion.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by delts145

In reality though Sight-Seer, other than a very small minority of the 55-60 projects, almost all are under construction, and many are just now wrapping up on completion.

I agree...looking around this website and forum, I'd say SLC has a better ratio of projects actually under construction-to-proposed than most US cities right now. We're in a pretty good position.

Still waiting for that Gehry thing to materialize...