Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[DENrising]

I think they relocated there to take advantage of easy access to the TRAX line.

Still Pioneer Park isn't all that much better, I took my dog to the new dog run last night, it is still kind of shady, and that doesn't have anything to do with the sun!

Originally Posted by MetroFanatic

All the drug dealers that were once at the park have just relocated to 500 West and 200 South. I was working on a film shoot in one of the buildings around there about a week ago and it required filming until about 3:00am.

Firstly, it was terrifying walking to my car. When I drove down 500 West to get to I-15 I would constantly see shifty dudes on the street sides subtly putting their hands up to signal they had the goods.

[Future Mayor]

In my mind one the biggest problem with Pioneer Park isn't the homeless people and the drug dealers, it is the wealthy purchasers of those drugs from the dealers and the homeless.

The police need to focus on arrresting the buyers. Those arragont rich pieces of crap that buy a large portion of the drugs need to have a wake up call. They need to be arrested and thrown in jail, they need to have their names and faces on the news.

If the rich buyers were arrested near pioneer park and exposed to the public they drug problem would be drastically reduced. Maybe this has been a focus, and maybe that is why they are moving to 500 W.

It is a natural progression, as the city develops the dealers and buyers are pushed to the fringe. Pioneer Park has for so long been down and out that it has been a strong hold for buying and dealing. With the cities improvements and as the population and redevelopment continue in that direction the dealers will move further west and possibly south. I remember in high school driving around DT and seeing a deal go down right on 200 W on the side walk that is now PF Changs. That part of the city was not desirable back then, but as it redeveloped it moved.

In another couple of years Pioneer Park will be a very vital urban oasis.

[delts145]

So true Future Mayor. I have watched in L.A. with great interest, as the once glamourous west end of MacArthur Park has shown a much longed for come-back from the brink. Once the gentry take back the residential and commercial, it's amazing how quickly a blighted area can turn around.

[rmarkosian]

Are the city improvements making a difference in Pioneer Park? Utah Stories investigates by talking to homeless vagrants as well as police officers and farmer's market organizer Kim Angeli. Click here for full story

[delts145]

The revolving door pointed out by the officers is what really bothers me the most. I think both dealers and users must be prosecuted, and we the public must provide the proper funding for adequate prison space. If we don't support the judicial system, then we have no one to blame but ourselves.

[Viperlord]

on ksl.coms website they have this on the sidebar for tonight...



Today on Eyewitness News HD at 10.
Making history in Utah... preparing to move a Salt Lake landmark.

the only one i can think of is the oddfellows hall, but what is the rendering of???

[wrendog]

It kinda looks like the sugarhouse rendering.. ??

[Viperlord]

speaking of the oddfellows hall... I found this in an article in a construction magazine from april 2008.

In addition, he says Okland was recently awarded the new U.S. District Federal Courthouse, an estimated $170-$200 million project that will break ground in the spring of ’09.

[jmonkey]

I know that there are hard feelings against the US Courthouse expansion in almost any facet of it's long development, but I do have to say that I'm glad that it will finally break ground. I think tearing down the Shubrick is an idiotic idea, but I long ago resigned myself to it happening; I'm impressed that they are saving the Odd-Fellows Hall, and I don't think the same kind of move would have been impossible with the Shubrick. I think the building could have easily been moved directly north, onto Market Street. But the federal government was determined they needed the entire half block, and nearly every state official that I can think of aided and abetted that happening. The chance to save the Shubrick was four years ago--it's fate has been long sealed.

The last set of renderings were much, much, much better than the 'borg cube' image that still shows up from time to time. I think the post-9/11 security argument for needing an open plaza around the building is completely overhyped, but a plaza can successful if designed well. That is usually a pretty big if though. Well have to see. One thing this project has going for it is the fact that many recently built, major federal courthouses around the country have been very, very good architecturally.

Like 222 South Main, this project has been on the drawing boards for a long, long time. It's been even more frustrating than the wait for 222 South Main, but I'm glad that the wait looks like it will finally end.

[DMTower]

^^^ I think that the renderings you are referring to are, unfortunately, earlier designs... the final design for the courthouse is the Borg Cube

[Future Mayor]

I know I've posted it before, but I was riding my bike around the city last night and saw it from yet another angle.

I absolutely LOVE the Carl B. Stokes Federal courthouse in Cleveland.


image courtesy of emporis

Can you imagine what a nice addition something like this would be to the SLC skyline. It's 23 floors at 430 ft

[ski_steve]

Downtown building being prepared for a move

By John Hollenhorst
KSL

A big project downtown is heading toward its climax. The question is, when workers finish moving the historic Oddfellows Hall, will they wind up with a building or just a pile of bricks?

Video Link and Page link:http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3667591

[ski_steve]

National expert on growth joins U. architecture faculty

By Wendy Leonard
Deseret News

The University of Utah's College of Architecture + Planning increased its stature Tuesday by the appointment of a national expert on the growth of communities and urban sprawl.

The melding of metropolitan areas into "megapolitan" regions has been examined by newly appointed presidential professor Arthur C. "Chris" Nelson, who has researched such effects nationally as well as in the Salt Lake Valley.

"Growth along the Wasatch Front in Utah could jump from 2.5 million today to 7 million people by 2050," he said. "We must prepare our communities now to meet the challenges brought about by this growth..."

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,700239832,00.html

[NYC Rick]

Originally Posted by delts145

The revolving door pointed out by the officers is what really bothers me the most. I think both dealers and users must be prosecuted, and we the public must provide the proper funding for adequate prison space. If we don't support the judicial system, then we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Dealers need to be prosecuted. Users do not need to be prosecuted, they need to be rehabilitated.

Yes, some users are criminals...they need to be prosecuted but not for being a drug user but for being criminals.

Drug users, need to be removed and given the chance to kick their habit, Some will not have the will but others will succeed. Putting drug users into jails only gives access to maintaining a habit.

NYC, about 15 years ago went through a real cleanup around Times Square and then extended it to the lower East side and uptown. There has been real success with the programs. They removed a huge amount of the dealers and are still doing it, while establishing more than a few rehab clinics. It is very different than the early to mid 90's.

You remove easy access (the dealers) then you have a chance at changing the whole environment.

[NYC Rick]

Originally Posted by stevena07

Downtown building being prepared for a move

By John Hollenhorst
KSL

A big project downtown is heading toward its climax. The question is, when workers finish moving the historic Oddfellows Hall, will they wind up with a building or just a pile of bricks?

Video Link and Page link:http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3667591

5,000,000 pounds of 117 year old bricks, whose construction skills will be totally stressed. I have no idea if it will work, It sounds like a 50/50 thing. The workers sound very cautious.

[Scraperdude801]

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I find it "odd" that the federal gov is forking out the money to save a building that hasn't been in use for sometime. While on the other hand there is the Shubrick which is another historical building (housed anybody who wasn't allowed to stay at hotel utah because of skin color etc. It saw many of the most famous Jazz musicians to every play.) which currently houses a very vibrant and nice nightclub/bar. Could it be because the I.O.O.F. was a sort of secret society who ironically uses many of the same symbols found on our dollar bill? ... hmm. Worth consideration IMHO.

[Viperlord]

Office space demand

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3672081


It's a sign of the economic times: The market for office space is softening in Salt Lake County after several gangbuster years.

If you're a business looking to expand or relocate in Salt Lake County, you may find more alternatives now for office space and landlords willing to work with you.

"We've had three phenomenal years on office leasing. This year, we're primarily flat," said Scott Wilmarth, senior vice president of CB Richard Ellis.

Wilmarth says the office-vacancy rate increased by about 2 percentage points this year to 13.5 percent. But he says there's still high demand for office space downtown, especially as the new high-rise is built on Main Street. "Suburban marketplace is adding a million square feet of new construction. Downtown has not had a new downtown high-rise for 10 years," Wilmarth said.

He says the worsening economy of the nation is affecting the better economy of Salt Lake County.

[Viperlord]

Seattle could take a cue from Salt Lake planners

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/366671_virgin12.html

AS PLANNED CITIES go, they don't come much more premeditated than Salt Lake City. The downtown core's gargantuan blocks and incredibly wide streets weren't an accident.

So Salt Lake is embarking on a major redevelopment effort under an umbrella plan called Downtown Rising in which nearly $2 billion will be invested in new offices, residential and retail buildings, arts, culture and governmental facilities and transit projects.

[wrendog]

OT: I'm at the American Fork hospital. My wife just delivered our first child. Very surreal.

[i-215]

Hopefully "surreal" in a good way!

Congrats!