Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[DMTower]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Oh really, so what do you call all those new 5-10 story buildings popping up everywhere in that area?

I would call it an office park. There is no street grid system between those buildings and they don't even front the street. Completely un-walkable and un-liveable. They've created a commuter mess and they just want to make it worse.

[Wasatch_One]

Originally Posted by DMTower

I would call it an office park. There is no street grid system between those buildings and they don't even front the street. Completely un-walkable and un-liveable. They've created a commuter mess and they just want to make it worse.

I couldn't have said it better...

[RFPCME]

Skyguy: Your posts concerning the airlines are always rich with information. Thank you for providing your take on the proposed SLC to Tokyo route. Now let's all hope (probably pray too) that this financial mess doesn't take Delta down.

No, I haven't tried the SLC to Orly route yet. I moved to Georgia a couple of years ago, in part to make my European travel much easier. I am also trying to cut that part of my travel waaaaaay down. Kicks my butt. The older I get, the less enthused I am about international travel, or any travel for that matter. My 10 min. drive to work is even beginning to annoy me.

[wrendog]

^^^^ Just a quick correction, the flight is to CDG, not ORY.

[RFPCME]

Wren: You're absolutely right. Even when I wrote that, I thought "Why are they flying into Orly?" Should have checked my facts. Good catch.

[blazefirelight]

So, in my sleep, I had a dream about Salt Lake City. In my dream, I was driving by Salt Lake City with my sister, and as i looked out the window I saw two completely different skyscrapers in Salt Lake. One where the Walker Center was supposed to be, and another where the Wells Fargo Tower was supposed to be.

The one where Walker Center was looked similar to the Conde Nast Building in New York, and the other was completely different and had an interesting use of angles.

Next part of the dream, I walked out of a building in downtown on 200 South and Main Street. I looked around at the familiar sights of the Walker Center and US Bank Tower, but when I looked for the Wells Fargo Tower, it wasn't in place next to the Chase Tower/Utah One.

The streets were all laid out completely differently than they are now. TRAX was moved from Main Street, and downtown had been completely changed. Cars were no longer allowed on Main, so many people were on State Street.

Anyway, the US Bank Tower had been replicated on 150 South (new street) and State, while the Wells Fargo Tower was on 100 South and State, with its wide-facad facing South instead of West. And behind it was the COB, moved from Temple Square. Many other buildings were intact, but the ones mentioned had been moved and other buildings filled the spaces where City Creek is supposed to be.

Has anyone else ever had dreams where the city was rearranged?

[blazefirelight]

And about Sandy development:

I don't know if I'd like to see Sandy grow up. I think that if they do grow vertically, the absolute max should be 15 stories.

AND! The only place Sandy could even consider developing UP would be the small area where the Proscenium is proposed on 10000 South by City Hall. The areas between Centennial Parkway, I-15, 10000 South and 10200 South Could all be divided up and rid of parking lots to maybe be the small gridline downtown area. But it would be an incredibly small system that wouldn't be able to support much.

But Sandy doesn't need much, so maybe it would work out?

[delts145]

Agreed Blaze, except I don't have a problem with taller mixed-use towers at the I-15/106th South junction area, as long as their is sufficient freeway improvement and mass-transit options. I would also very much like to see some nice walkable village centers alla 9th and 9th scattered throughout Sandy, Cottonwood Heights and Draper communities. I don't mean Jordon Landing style either, unless of course Jordon Landing were to add a healthy mix of condo/apt. residential above the retail, and also more transit/BRT, etc. options.

Oh.... your dream was kind of crazy,LOL. I'm a big believer in some dreams being prophetic, but I thinks yours was more along the line of having eaten to much pizza with mushrooms! LOL

[TANGELD_SLC]

LOL yeah but what kind of mushrooms?
Anyways I hope mine ends up being prophetic hehe

[blazefirelight]

Your dream would make a lot of forumers happy, Tangled. I'm sure we all want yours to come true!

Ugh, Jordan Landing. Even though I live in West Jordan, that places bugs the crap out of me. The best place in the whole entire area is the movie theather and right in front. I think that Jordan Landing could've been developed better. Everything spread out and the stupid stop signs every hundred yards is such an annoying thing to deal with.

I think that the first part of my dream was mostly dealing with how I would like to see different styles of architecture in Salt Lake.

I know that Salt Lake City's style portfolio is colorful, but it could be MORE colorful on a GREATER scale. I think I'd like the Ken Garff tower more if it were taller and more dimensions to it.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by DMTower

I would call it an office park. There is no street grid system between those buildings and they don't even front the street. Completely un-walkable and un-liveable. They've created a commuter mess and they just want to make it worse.

Some of them don't, but some of these buildings do face 10000 South.

That area has been re-zone for towers up to 40-stories while the area around the stadium has been re-zone for buildings up to 15-stories. That's why I said from the start that area would make a good spot for highrises. There will be a frontrunner station near 10000 if not right no it. I wouldn't go as far as saying that area is un-liveable or un-walkable, at least not for much longer. Just wait til all the mix use projects come on line. Sure it doesn't have a "Downtown grid" but I think from what it was 10 years ago that area is alot better and it will only get better once Front Runner comes in and they get the Proscenium.
Quit hating Sandy for dreaming big and at least trying to have a more of a Urban area.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Wasatch_One

I couldn't have said it better...

I still believe that Sandy is heading the right way and that in time the city nice little mix-use city center with Front Runner, Street cars and highrises. IMHO

[Blueline Medic]

You guys might think that I am crazy . . .but I am increasingly frustrated with the lack of vision instituted by Salt Lake developers . . .numberous projects are annouced and built in second-tier suburban areas ("The Point', The Promicium, Real Rio Tinto Stadium, etc.) How can we expect Salt Lake to become a prominent, world-class city if nobody is willing to act Proactivly regarding development. I love the unique atmosphere of Salt Lake, with its excellent skiing, resilient Economy, and pioneer history. It is due to this, that given time, I plan to do my best to develop projects within Salt Lake Cityr that capitalize on the true potential for the city.

The most pressing project: A 1000+ room hotel (see below)

Over the past few years there have been talks regarding the need for a true convention sized hotel (1000+ rooms) in the downtown core. I have therefore completed some very crude massing models of mixed-use tower that would serve that purpose (along with others.)

The tower, as modeled, is just over 1000' tall with 72 occupied floors. The final tier of the tower is to thin to house both an elevator and stairwell while serving any significant purpose. Therefore this final tier will discreetly house radio/communications equipement.

As I stated above, the project will be mixed-use, as a tower of this magnitude would over-saturate any one use. The tower comprises of office, residential, and hotel space, broken down as follows:

Floor 1 ~ High-End retail & restuarants (hopefully serving as a "bridge of vibrancy" between CCC and the "theatre district"), Floor 1 will also include the respective lobbies for the office, residential, and hotel sections of the project.

Floors 2-11 ~ Office Space (preferably housing a single company)

Floors 12-40 & 42-52 ~ 1000+ room hotel (It would be great if this hotel was a new flagship Marriott property [J.W perhaps?] . . .They could also sell the property across the street, as we can all agree that it has seen better days.)

Floor 41 (including outdoor terrace) ~ High-end restaurant, serving both a business lunch and formal dinner, would offer some of the best views of the city

Floors 53-72 ~ Residential condos w/ a capstone penthouse from floors 70-72 (3 stories)

Regarding the project's location . . . A few surface level building would need to be demolished/relocated (potentially to the adjacent Zions parking lot.) Although, this section of 100 south does have some limited nightlife and vibrancy . . .I feel that it would be a valid trade-off for this perfectly situated convention hotel. This vibrancy would hopefully be eclipsed by the restuarants located within the new project.)

You may also feel that the project doesn't asthetically mesh with the current skyline . . .but I have done my best (i.e. the staggered terraces) to disguise the extreme difference in heigth. I feel that this tower better fits, than say a solid block ascending skyward.

This project is probably unrealistic . . .but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[delts145]

Blueline, I like the stepped concept, the mixed-use aspect, and I hope that forumers will not be too quick to reject it's height, because it is in front of the current curve. I would love to see something of this scope built downtown. I feel strongly that we need a good kick in the rear at this point in our tower developments. I'm not complaining at all about our current towers designs. I think buildings like Chase,Westgate,new Zions,222 and Wells Fargo and especially Tower 1, are far more attractive than allot of the existing tower stock in the greater forum region. However, it's time in SLC's downtown development that we used the same creative beauty with our towers that Safdie used with the library.

I'm looking forward to what I hope will be a long and popular discussion over your concept on this thread.

I would also be very interested in hearing more of your thoughts as to your ideas on the streetscape of the building and also the materials used on the skin of the tower.

At a dinner yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with many interesting, highly educated, and talented people. All were very engaged on the topic of downtown Salt Lake. While none are participants on this forum, there was a tremendous excitement amongst the group for what they feel is happening and will continue to occur downtown and along the metro in general. It was both interesting and exhilerating to hear their enthusiasm for what they feel is going to happen to the Wasatch, as current key business sectors of manufacturing,distribution,airline,medical,high tech, etc., continue to turn their major attention to the Wasatch. I'm sure it didn't escape forumers notice, the recent announcements over the weekend, which but only added to the long list of past announcements over the last while now. Major announcements of new to the region, expanding and relocation of international icons, continuing to add thousands of jobs, has become almost passe along the Wasatch. But to hear it at this comparitive juncture is a wakeup call to our urban planners and such.

What is happening in the World of Global business right now is an historic realignment. It is a realignment of how we do business and where we do business. For better or worse we are in the process of major change, and what we are hearing now is the sound of the starting gun. It was the opinion of these people yesterday, who are of an international flavor, "that Salt Lake City is uniquely postioned to take major advantage of what is now happening." Whether it is healthcare, air transport, or energy,etc., Salt Lake's metro will emerge as a major force.

[wrendog]

I think a 1000 footer is a little unrealistic. More likely a 600-700 footer. But hey, then again, Nashville and OKC both have 1000 footer proposals..

[bammbammz]

I love it Blueline.We really need a major hotel chain to build tall, wide, an NOW!!.....Delts well put,we're on the verge of being a national powerhouse city.I just hope we can achieve it, methodically,expeditiuosly,an SOON.Denver an Phoenix just don't have the demographics that Salt Lake does. I'm never worried with Boise or Vegas,they are what they are,beautiful city like Provo-Orem,an a gambling mecca for tourists. We here in Salt Lake, have much more potential to be the center peice of the mountain-west.Just tweeking a few laws,building skywards,landing a few more professional sports teams,lure some buisnesses to make Salt Lake thier home, we'll be there......salt-lake-4life!!!!!!

[SLC Projects]

Blueline. I love it. Having a Mix-use 1000+ room hotel as a new tallest would be awesome.

[urbanboy]

I do not like the location you have proposed. I've said it time and time again that these buildings, although not large in scale, contribute to the character of Salt Lake City. Moving them would be financially unfeasible and stupid. These buildings are landmarks and will be put to good use once City Creek Center opens. There are other locations on and around the Conference Center that would work for a 1000 room hotel.

[UTPlanner]

...and heaven forbid somebody disagree with what you have stated, "time and time again."

I'm not sure I'm 100% behind the proposal but I appreciate the individualized thinking and the ability to look outside of the box a bit. Thanks.

[urbanboy]

People can disagree, I just want everyone to be clear about how I feel. I live downtown, and appreciate the history here! I don't want insensitive people demolishing what little history we have left.