Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[Viperlord]

337 Project building tumbles; awaiting new future

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8823401
http://www.citycenterlofts.net/


link to a youtube video of the project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VWc4tzw6Mk
Scheduled for completion March 2009, the seven-story structure will house eight residential condo units and an art gallery on the main floor.

[delts145]

Very cool Steve, thanks for the updates on the U. It's amazing how many projects are underway up there.

.

[Comrade]

Yeesh, that headline gave me heart failure. I thought it meant the new project tumbled and they were going to rework it in the future.

[Comrade]

As for a new NBA arena, again, I said 10 years down the line, which is entirely speculation on my part. 10 years from today, it will be 2018, which means the ESA would be nearly 30 years old (yikes, time flies). At that time, it should be expected the Jazz will be looking for a new arena.

For the location, I'd love for the Jazz to build on Earl Holding's lot on Main Street. That is the perfect place for an area. If I could have one wish, it'd be that Miller would buy that land NOW and keep it open for an arena to be built there in the future.

[urbanboy]

Either that, or else Earl Holding could buy the Jazz...

[RFPCME]

I just took a look at the new 106th S. thread...not that it matters much, but as I read the posts, the title of a book keep running through my head: "Wishes, Lies, and Dreams."

A couple of days ago, I went into my favorite bakery and read the note posted by the owner on the front door, apologizing for increasing prices but saying the price of flower had risen by nearly 20% in the last 30 days. The note reminded me of how badly the economy is tanking.

I'm not an economist, but I'm not blind either. Soaring energy prices, a sinking US dollar, an expensive war, the fall of Bear Stearns--all of these factors scream that the US economy is tanking. So when I read that the 106th S. is based on private investment, it brings out the cynic in me that tells me the 106th S. (which I know is really at 100th S.) is doomed. Money is going to get tight, and I don't believe Sandy is going to attract much of it.

CCC downtown is an anomaly, financed by the LDS Church is who determined not to let the area around its headquarters deteriorate. The enormous infusion of cash into downtown, not dependent on traditional financing, is unique...no beyond unique...approaching miracle status is more like it. The CCC development will spawn additional development as well. But it is going to take time, probably a decade or more to realize all the effects.

The result is downtown will see development in proportion to Salt Lake's size beyond anything else in the country. Energy development in eastern Utah and Western Wyoming may also contribute. If the State Legislature hadn't systematically gutted the University of Utah over the last 20 years, we also would be seeing more development related to biomedical and IT development. In fact, given the number of highly qualified IT people in the area, there still may be some significant investment coming into Utah through the IT sector (My company is working on one now that is promising, although the chances of it happening are probably no more than 20%).

The point is for the next several years, at best the development in Salt Lake and elsewhere in Utah is going to be slow and conservative. That's the bad news. The good news is that there will be some development, while the rest of the country pulls back, with the exceptions being areas related to energy or export (with the extremely weak dollar, exports should grow dramatically).

So I am not going to waste my time anymore considering the Proscenium Project because it is wishes, dreams, and probably some down right lies.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by urbanboy

Either that, or else Earl Holding could buy the Jazz...

Holding was born in 1927. Chances are that he'll be dead in 10 years.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by blazefirelight

Does anyone else agree that the big parking lots downtown need to go? I'm mostly referring to the one on SW Temple and S Main, 400 S and 500 S. They're not very...downtown-y. I think that they need to be built down, and built on top of.

It's sure better than what it was before. For as long as I can remember that block was an abandoned dirt lot with a couple derelict buildings. It was definitely an embarrassing eyesore. I would much rather see a nicely taken care of parking lot than an abandoned and blighted site.

[urbanboy]

No, a parking lot is not better than what was there before:

[delts145]

Of course, Orlando was referring to what was there for some 20 plus years before the landscaping. Historically, it's pretty obvious that the parking lots had some substantial structures, that would have been a major contribution to the downtown scene today. Looking at that last pic, it seems as if there was even a park just north, across the street from the Newhouse.

As far as Earl Holding is concerned, I don't think much of the day to day business is run by him anymore. Not only is he pretty advanced in age, but he recently suffered a serious stroke. Most of what is going on now in his empire is heavily influenced by his son.

[delts145]

Holding pattern: Retailers are in limbo as downtown undergoes redevelopment


Work proceeds on the project to renovate the Trolley Square shopping mall in Salt Lake City. (Michael Brandy, Deseret Morning News)

"You could never have told me that in two years I'd lose two stores - one that I had for 30 years and one that I had for 18," Crissy Maniar said.

Haroon's resettled in foothill Village on Salt Lake City's east bench. But like other retailers who left downtown, the Mahniars want to return to the city's center.

.

[Comrade]

The problem with the Newhouse was that it became a pretty ghetto hotel. My uncle (mom's sister's husband) always went down there with his mother, because she "worked" the lobby, if you know what I mean. By the time they demolished it (80s, right?) I think they said it would cost more to renovate than the building was worth. Of course they should have saved it, but sometimes these older buildings are hard to repair if there isn't a lot of money. And I don't think the owners had much money at all back then.

[PandaUte]

Originally Posted by urbanboy

No, a parking lot is not better than what was there before:

That's a terrific looking building - resembles something Louis Sullivan would have designed in turn-of-the-century Chicago.

What happened to this gem?

[Viperlord]

Originally Posted by PandaUte

That's a terrific looking building - resembles something Louis Sullivan would have designed in turn-of-the-century Chicago.

What happened to this gem?

this happened

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhH5TYXLsnE

[RFPCME]

Viperlord and Pandaute:

Does anyone know why the building was demolished? Doesn't Earl Holding own that property or did someone else own the property when the building went down? I'm sure I remember some controversy in '83 before the hotel went down.

That aside, I ran across some interesting information concerning Samuel Newhouse, the builder of the hotel, the Newhouse and Boston Building office buildings, as well as several other buildings in the area. It seems Mr. Newhouse was his own CCC in his day. I wonder if anyone person in Utah today could pull off such development:

"While his wife preferred living outside of Utah, Samuel Newhouse's choice was Salt Lake City. In 1907 he launched a significant building program in the city designed to shift the city's center from the Temple Square area south four blocks to Exchange Place between 300 and 400 South streets and between Main and State streets. In 1907 construction began on the city's first skyscrapers, the Boston and the Newhouse buildings. Just east of the two buildings, Newhouse donated land for construction of the Salt Lake Stock Exchange and Commercial Club buildings. Exchange Place was to be a little "Wall Street" with a grand hotel--the Newhouse Hotel--constructed between 1909 and 1915 across Main Street on the southwest corner of Main and 400 South. Newhouse also was instrumental in the development of the exclusive residential area of Federal Heights in the northeast section of Salt Lake City."

Allan Kent Powell, Utah State Historical Society

[T-Mac]

I took these pictures as well this weekend and since we are discussing, I thought I would share them. The first one was taken by Shipler in 1910 and the rest by me.









It's amazing how little has changed in that area.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by T-Mac

I took these pictures as well this weekend and since we are discussing, I thought I would share them. The first one was taken by Shipler in 1910 and the rest by me.









It's amazing how little has changed in that area.

I absolutely love the buildings on exchange place. I had heard several years ago and I think I have mentioned it on here before that I think Samuel Newhouse's original plan was to build matching or similar buildings on the State St. end of Exchange Place to help make it a "little wall street" I love the architecture of the Athletic Club Building. I think with some new buildings on State St and Exchange and with a building built across the street on the parking lot I really think Exchange Place could become a nice vibrant little street. Once again, some housing would be required. I think some sort of housing on exchange would be sweet.

[DENrising]

I love Exchange Pl, I woul've loved to have seen it during its heyday, when we finally do get a nice warm day, I'm gonna go walk down Exchange Pl and have lunch at Boston Deli and eat outside, COME ON SPRING!!!

[Scraperdude801]

Future Mayor I could not agree with you more! Exchange place is oozing with potential. Housing and local retail would be great for exchange place.

On the topic of Sameul Newhouse, The Newhouse mansion is a beautiful as well. Almost everything this guy touched was/is a gem.

Here are some pictures of exchange place I took last week:



I'm not a big fan of the courthouse expansion project because of the fact we are losing the shubrick, but I think the way the boston and new house building will frame the new courthouse tower will be stunning with the historic courthouse at it's base.



The Commercial building is my favorite building in SLC (excluding the city and county building, cathedral, and temple)

[delts145]

If I were forced to list a top 20 favorite's in the Western U.S., the 'renaissance style' Commercial Club below, would have to be on that list. I don't know of a building anywhere more handsomely finished than this. Along with the rest of you, I hope to see the day when additional housing and mixed-use will be developed in this beautiful area of our city. In particular, I would like to see that little piece of gray junk at the lower left removed, and a beautiful Condo tower built in it's place


T-Mac

.