Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[Viperlord]

Fellow Forumers:

Please Note:

The past couple of weeks on this forum have been rather troublesome and I have received many complaints about some issues on these forums. I have moderated some of the forums and deleted posts, but it just doesnt seem to stop there. So, if you are causing problems on this forum then maybe you need some time away from this forum as a ban or suspension. Please keep the topics appropriate and stick to what this forum was intended for. Also, show some respect to your fellow forumers and act and behave appropriately. Any bans will come without warning from here on out.

Thanks for your time,

-Viperlord

[delts145]

Mayor Becker, one of 16 mayors to meet with the President-elect on Urban Policy

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705271438,00.html

..The soon-to-be established office will focus on ways the federal government can help America's cities. The goal is to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs, according to the office of the president-elect.

"It was a chance for me and the other mayors to get a first-hand feel for how this administration is going to approach its relationships with local governments and state governments, and how this administration looks at cities, metropolitan areas and regions," said Becker, who was invited to the meeting at the president-elect's transition office as a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Working Group on Urban Policy...

.

[cololi]

This could potentially be huge, not only for SLC, but for urban areas everywhere. After 8 years of seeing budget cuts to programs that help urban areas, we are going back to funding those programs that have produced economically benificial projects. Now Obama just needs to figure out how he is going to pay for all of that.

[delts145]

Ditto to that Cololi, I've been a proponent of anti-terrorism, but what good is it if our cities are in decay. That's a little simplistic I know, but fairly relevant. I just hope that this next administration and congress is better with manageing the money that is available. More to infrastructure, and less to propping up unfriendly regimes.

[arkhitektor]

I came across Moshe Safdie's design for the Philadelphia Library expansion this morning, and I've gotta say: I feel a little bit gypped. Does it look familiar?



The design is for an addition to the existing library, so from the outside, it looks pretty different, but the atrium he designed to connect the spaces looks like an exact replica of what he did for our library:



Oh, well. I guess I shouldn't complain since our library is basically a rip-off of his design for the Vancouver Central Library:



I just wish good architects could be good architects without just transplanting there recent successes from other commissions. Like how every Frank Gehry looks like a "Frank Gehry" and every Daniel Liebeskind looks like a "Liebeskind"

[delts145]

Wow, that's either sad or hilarious, I don't know which. It must be kind of frustrating for someone like you to see Ark. Sad but true, "success breeds copies."

Ours has that beautiful piece of artwork suspended from the ceiling of the atrium. Do you know if Vancouver has anything similar?


photos.windley.com

[arkhitektor]

I've never been to the Vancouver library, but I don't think it has anything like the suspended art installation.

I mean they're all great designs and have many differences, and they were all designed by the same firm, so its not like anyone is stealing others' ideas.

But aside from the design of the curved walls and atrium, look at things like the flooring, the glass curtain walls, the glass railings and the detailing of the storefronts on the retail spaces. The exact same details are used in the Vancouver and Philadelphia designs. Lame.

[SLC Projects]

lol, I never know the SLC library had twins out there. That's funny.
I think the SLC new library kicks butt. I love the design. Wasn't it the 2006 library of the year?

[Boiseguy]

I've been to the library in vancouver, it is very similar to sl library as far as the shell goes, but the interior and the levels with the open space is a little bit different. Vancouver's library is amongst MUCH more urban density than salt lake's so it has a totally different vibe. But they are very similar.. that's kind of strange. I guess the architect thought he could push it off in two cities and win a canadian architecture award, and then an american one.. lol.....

[Urban_logic]

Originally Posted by Northernlad

Delts145, this forum is a place to talk about good and bad, not just what you consider good. I think you get so wrapped up in your own narrow minded way of thinking that you forget about reality and what is really going on.
The local economy is not all that good, it is getting worse and people losing their jobs here in Utah, the Salt Lake Valley, are having a difficult time finding new employment. This is very true regardless of the strong job growth we have been blessed with. It is reality. Sorry. The whole nation is hurting and Utah is part of America the last time I checked.
I apologize if I upset your morning by posting this news article.
Please, please just relax.

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

Delts I don't want to be negative but the local economy is suffering a great deal. I do some consulting on the side for a national firm and business in Utah is in a downward spiral. I would not agree that we are in the upper tier of good economies. I'd say we're right in the middle.

There are some states that are worse and some that are better. I don't think that we need to focus all of our energy on the bad economy but I do think its important to recognize its existence. With recognition of the fact we can press forward and continually look for the solutions. With denial comes few solutions.

I don't mean this as a lecture in any way. I really think there will be a great deal of improvement in 2009. I believe the new administration will make sure of that.

I'll hop off my soapbox now.

I think that Delts does recognize that we are slowing down, but we still remain among the top tier economies in the states. You should check out this map. It shows 2007 state-by-state GDP (the sum of all purchases within the economy and ultimate gauge of economic activity) growth. Utah is number 1 with a 5.3% GDP growth!

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/gsp_newsrelease.htm

Note that not one state bordering Utah even has half of that! Idaho has 2.4%, CO has 2.0%, AZ has 1.8%, NV has 0.6%, and Wyoming has 1.8%. Not one other state in the entire country even has a score within the 5% range, the closest to Utah would be New York at 4.4%

Utah's unemployment rate ranks 4th lowest as of October 2008 at 3.5%, which is also an excellent sign that Utah is fairing much better than the majority of the nation. Utah's unemployment rate is better than 92% of the nation.

Check out this report as well (I have provided it here, so no need to click the link):

http://www.realestatehomesutah.com/utah_economy_Aug2008.html


"Utah's Economic Rankings and the Housing Market

August, 2008

Utah continues to rank high with its economic indicators. These high marks and optimistic forecasts bode well for Utah's housing market compared with the rest of the nation. A summary of Utah's rankings, the source and the criteria is displayed below:

Salt Lake City Ranked #3 for Home Sellers.
A Forbes study released April 7, 2008 cited strong job growth, a sharp drop in new construction and a declining home inventory as criteria for Salt Lake City's high ranking.

Salt Lake City Ranked #1 for Home Bargains.
Another Forbes study released earlier this year in February ranked Salt Lake City as the best bargain in the country for house hunters. Factors included low foreclosures, job growth, high inventory and property owner's willingness to negotiate the sale of real estate.

Utah Ranked #1 for Economic Competitive Advantages.
The Beacon Hill Institute of Boston, ranked Utah as the most economic competitive state in the nation. Criteria for this evaluation included fiscal policy, security, infrastructure, human resources, technology, business incubation, and openness.

Utah Ranked #3 for Business.

CNBC ranked Utah just below Texas and Virginia as the top states in the country for business for two consecutive years - 2007 & 2008. Factors used in the analysis included the economy, workforce, education, quality of life, cost of doing business and business friendliness.

Utah Ranked #1 for Economic Outlook.
The American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Utah in the number 1 position in the U.S. for economic outlook in December, 2007. This forecast gauged Utah's economic future on criteria such as security, infrastructure, business incubation, fiscal policy, minimum wage, tax policy and education.

Provo-Orem Ranked #1 for Best Performing Cities.
The Milken Institute ranked Provo-Orem top in the county for job creation, retention and economic growth. The report was released September 10, 2008. Salt Lake City is ranked #3 and Ogden-Clearfield is ranked #18. St. George, Utah is ranked #4 among small metropolitan areas. With so many Utah cities achieving top economic performance in the country, Utah's forecast for growth is very high.

Often as go the economy, so goes the real estate market. Utah is in a good position for its housing market to weather the current national economic storm."

I do agree that we should not ignore the negatives of the Utah economy, but condemning those of us who simply state that Utah is doing better than the majority of the nation as being in denial is pretty weird. I live in California as well, and I have noticed stark contrasts between there and here. In my West Jordan area, I have seen 1 forclosure this year. In California, there was one on just about every block. Even now, at the hieght of recession and the bottom of the housing market, I still see houses, apartments, and condos flying up all over the place in western West Jordan and Daybreak. I see UTA doubling their track mileage and adding 2 commuter lines. I go downtown and see more projects going up than I can even count. Yes, I do know that UDOT is suspending $3.9 billion worth of projects and that Utah's unemployment rate is increasing while GDP growth is shrinking, but it's really not all that bad. All economies go through cycles, and I would much rather be in Utah's downward-spiral than, say, Michigan's. I would even take Utah's situation over any of it's neighbors.

[SLC Projects]

welcome Urban_logic. Thanks for the info. I'm from the west jordan area also. Nice to have you on here.

[NYC Rick]

has no bearing on any state or community. Each town, city and state is in the relatively same dumpster. It will turn around but man, it is going to be a job and a half.

It is not even about SLC's economic viability. The use of 2007 and early 2008 references and information is invalid...totally invalid even one year or even half a year ago.

Reining on top of the economies of a locality, region or state is like seeing who has the most pennies.

No one expected this...someone should have damn well seen it coming and done something about it but basically in was an internal nest of vipers that
played it out until the very end.

Utah as well as New York and the rest of this country will come through it but the toll on every state and local government will take years...possibly many years to get back to the faux prosperity years built like a house of cards.

Originally Posted by Urban_logic

I think that Delts does recognize that we are slowing down, but we still remain among the top tier economies in the states. You should check out this map. It shows 2007 state-by-state GDP (the sum of all purchases within the economy and ultimate gauge of economic activity) growth. Utah is number 1 with a 5.3% GDP growth!

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/gsp_newsrelease.htm

Note that not one state bordering Utah even has half of that! Idaho has 2.4%, CO has 2.0%, AZ has 1.8%, NV has 0.6%, and Wyoming has 1.8%. Not one other state in the entire country even has a score within the 5% range, the closest to Utah would be New York at 4.4%

Utah's unemployment rate ranks 4th lowest as of October 2008 at 3.5%, which is also an excellent sign that Utah is fairing much better than the majority of the nation. Utah's unemployment rate is better than 92% of the nation.

Check out this report as well (I have provided it here, so no need to click the link):

http://www.realestatehomesutah.com/utah_economy_Aug2008.html


"Utah's Economic Rankings and the Housing Market

August, 2008

Utah continues to rank high with its economic indicators. These high marks and optimistic forecasts bode well for Utah's housing market compared with the rest of the nation. A summary of Utah's rankings, the source and the criteria is displayed below:

Salt Lake City Ranked #3 for Home Sellers.
A Forbes study released April 7, 2008 cited strong job growth, a sharp drop in new construction and a declining home inventory as criteria for Salt Lake City's high ranking.

Salt Lake City Ranked #1 for Home Bargains.
Another Forbes study released earlier this year in February ranked Salt Lake City as the best bargain in the country for house hunters. Factors included low foreclosures, job growth, high inventory and property owner's willingness to negotiate the sale of real estate.

Utah Ranked #1 for Economic Competitive Advantages.
The Beacon Hill Institute of Boston, ranked Utah as the most economic competitive state in the nation. Criteria for this evaluation included fiscal policy, security, infrastructure, human resources, technology, business incubation, and openness.

Utah Ranked #3 for Business.

CNBC ranked Utah just below Texas and Virginia as the top states in the country for business for two consecutive years - 2007 & 2008. Factors used in the analysis included the economy, workforce, education, quality of life, cost of doing business and business friendliness.

Utah Ranked #1 for Economic Outlook.
The American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Utah in the number 1 position in the U.S. for economic outlook in December, 2007. This forecast gauged Utah's economic future on criteria such as security, infrastructure, business incubation, fiscal policy, minimum wage, tax policy and education.

Provo-Orem Ranked #1 for Best Performing Cities.
The Milken Institute ranked Provo-Orem top in the county for job creation, retention and economic growth. The report was released September 10, 2008. Salt Lake City is ranked #3 and Ogden-Clearfield is ranked #18. St. George, Utah is ranked #4 among small metropolitan areas. With so many Utah cities achieving top economic performance in the country, Utah's forecast for growth is very high.

Often as go the economy, so goes the real estate market. Utah is in a good position for its housing market to weather the current national economic storm."

I do agree that we should not ignore the negatives of the Utah economy, but condemning those of us who simply state that Utah is doing better than the majority of the nation as being in denial is pretty weird. I live in California as well, and I have noticed stark contrasts between there and here. In my West Jordan area, I have seen 1 forclosure this year. In California, there was one on just about every block. Even now, at the hieght of recession and the bottom of the housing market, I still see houses, apartments, and condos flying up all over the place in western West Jordan and Daybreak. I see UTA doubling their track mileage and adding 2 commuter lines. I go downtown and see more projects going up than I can even count. Yes, I do know that UDOT is suspending $3.9 billion worth of projects and that Utah's unemployment rate is increasing while GDP growth is shrinking, but it's really not all that bad. All economies go through cycles, and I would much rather be in Utah's downward-spiral than, say, Michigan's. I would even take Utah's situation over any of it's neighbors.

[Urban_logic]

But didn't the recession start in December 2007?? My most current sources were from August and October of this year, which is a good 8-10 months into the recession and only 2-4 months ago. Of course it's not as good now, but we are still suffering much MUCH less than the majority of the nation. When 4th quarter data comes out, I'm sure that Utah will still be among the top 10 economies. I'm not saying it's good, it's just not as bad as it could be. I'm not saying we are booming here in Utah, I'm just saying that it's not AS bad as the rest of the nation. I mean, we could have a 10%+ unemployment rate like Detroit, but I would much rather have 3.7%! Considering that Utah's peak unemployment rate is forcasted to reach 5% (which is still less than the current national average!), I really don't think it will get too bad here. I think it's just a matter of perspective. It's the general optimistic and pessimistic views, you can think of how many days you have left until you die, or you can think about how many more days you have left to live. Some look at Utah's economy as half empty, I look at it as half full. And I also look around at the other 49 cups and see that Utah's cup is much fuller than most of the others!

Oh, and thanks SLC Projects! I have been a long-time reader (about 2 years), but I've never really felt like participating. I lived in Calif up until just a few months ago, so it wasn't like I could post any pics (unless you wanted to see pics of all the 30-60 story skyscrapers shooting up in the SoMA District in San Francisco!). I'm thinking that my being from California influences my possitive view of Utah. I mean, if you want to talk bad economy, come to California!! I think we have the top 2 or 3 forclosure cities. Modesto, Riverside, Stockton, etc. In Sacramento, there were entire neighborhoods left completely abandoned in mid-construction with the shingles still sitting in stacks on top of the roofs and sheetrock left in piles on the roads. I mean, Utah has a long, LONG way to go before it reaches the point California has!

[blazefirelight]

So, I was looking at the renderings for the new Courthouse on www.tphifer.com and I came across the rendering that has changed my view of the Courthouse.



This rendering doesn't make the building look too bad. Although the historic Shubrick is gone, the Courthouse is still a pretty good looking building. And even though it's not too tall, it adds a little bit more to the city.

[wrendog]

I've never had a problem with the borg cube design. I quite like it.

[SLC Projects]

I wounder if it would glow at night kind of like what we are thinking both 222 South Main and Tower 2 will do once those are built. If so then having all these news buildings will really brighten the skyline.

[urbanboy]

Originally Posted by blazefirelight

www.tphifer.com

That wall on 400 South sure does NOT help pedestrian flow, or follow C.P.T.E.D. (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles.

[MetroFanatic]

I think they need to do something about the back of the Frank E. Moss Courthouse when they build this new one. It'd be a terrible view to look at.

[TANGELD_SLC]

Welcome, Urban_Logic!


Sorry, I like smilies



ANYHOOS I just wanted to say, I like the latest rendering for the Borg cube, I just wish they weren't tearing down the shubrick building. SUCH A LOSS FOR OUR CITY, IMO


I also think we ought to thank our lucky salty stars for the bright future our area has even in these stormy times that ARE affecting all of us, in varying degrees, of course. I personally went days and days without work between July and a few weeks ago and it SUCKS But my employer is opening up into the European market next spring/summer AND the new Tokyo-SLC flights will only help increase our current Japanese business.

[delts145]

While I like the window design of the courthouse tower itself, the interaction with the street is unfortunate. I know it's necessary for security purposes, but it's a very poor replacement to the Shubrick. Sadly, I guess there's nothing we can do. The Feds. are just going to roll right over us on this one.