Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[UTAZLoVer]

Yeah! Regent Street would make a perfect pedestrian only thoroughfare - especially with the new Broadway-style theater there. I think it would be really cool to try and make Regent into something like Maiden Lane in San Francisco (one of my favorite little streets!). Something like this:


photo by Robin


photo from Laurent Castellani, flickr

There is a little gate on either end communicating that it is for pedestrians only - and it has a very european feel while keeping a san francisco vibe. We could do the same, while keeping a very SLC feel. See the gate?


photo by sanfranciscodays.com

What do you all think?

[Future Mayor]

I agree 100% on the need to transform Regent St into a pedestrian thorough fair. I do think you could allow possibly a one way street during winter and block the street off just north of the Walker Garage and just south of the D News Alley or Orpheum ave in the spring summer and fall months, this would still allow for parking garage access. Creating a one way road and blocked off during those seasons would allow for larger sidewalks and a large amount of sidewalk dining. My favorite street in Cleveland, OH is East 4th which does exactly what I just described.

Since I took this picture they have added gates rather than the road closed signs.



Yes the mammoth parking lot wouldn't add to the pedestrian vibe, but there are things that could be done to soften it's presence. First and foremost simply putting some neighborhood type retail on the first floor, which it could already accommodate. The upper floors could simply be faced with some new exterior materials and some art work, possibly even artwork that spans all of Regent St, and combine that with string lights. While yes everyone would still know it was a parking garage, it's nasty impact could be minimized without razing the structure.

[ski_steve]

Most projects to continue despite state budget cuts

Jed Layton- Utah Chronicle

The U is continuing to plan, construct and renovate university buildings, despite budget cuts being implemented by the Utah Legislature.

Fred Esplin, vice president of institutional advancement, said the U shouldn’t stop constructing buildings. He said to do so would hurt students, the U and the surrounding community.

“A university needs to keep growing or it starts to die,” he said. “It is like anything else—if you aren’t moving forward, you are moving backward.”

Planned Buildings:

USTAR complex:


The USTAR complex will be built on the golf course and will house researchers working with the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative.

In a move to give back funding to Utah agencies, the Utah Legislature removed nearly $50 million in cash that was originally intended for the building. Kim Wirthlin, U vice president for government relations, said she expected the building to be bonded instead.

“The USTAR is moving forward, period. There will be no delay in construction,” said Mike Perez, vice president of facilities management. said. Perez said he expects construction to start late spring or early summer.

2. Universe Project:


Mike Perez, vice president of facilities management, said the College of Nursing building is a major remodeling project that is underway.

“The occupants are moved and the money is in the bank,” he said.

Brinkman said the Legislature provided a one-time package last year for funding, on the condition that the U could provide matching donations, which it did.

3. David Eccles School of Business Building

The U is asking the Legislature for resources to construct a new business school building. Paul Brinkman, associate vice president for budget and planning, said funding would come through bonding. Utah has a Triple-A bonding rate, the best available.

“This is probably the most important building for us this year,” he said.

4. College of Nursing



Mike Perez, vice president of facilities management, said the College of Nursing building is a major remodeling project that is underway.



“The occupants are moved and the money is in the bank,” he said.

Brinkman said the Legislature provided a one-time package last year for funding, on the condition that the U could provide matching donations, which it did.

Detailed building plan can be found here: http://nursing.utah.edu/development/campaign/learningcenter.pdf

5. Marriott Library:



Mike Perez, vice president of facilities management, said the construction on the library is nearing completion as renovations are being made near the west entrance. The Legislature paid for part of the renovations, Brinkman said.

“There is no fear about funding not coming through for the library,” Brinkman said. “Funding is done, it is safe.”


6. Utah Museum of Natural History:



Funding was given one year ago for the new museum building, said Paul Brinkman, associate vice president for budget and planning,. However, he said it could be possible for the U to exchange the previously given cash for bonding

“If they got desperate for additional revenue they could bond,” he said. “But they normally try to avoid borrowing if they can help it.”

Mike Perez, vice president of facilities management, said there would be no negative legislative impact on the museum project.


7. Huntsman Cancer Hospital addition:



Mike Perez, vice president of facilities management, said funding for the additions to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital was provided through donations, hospital funding and private bonding.

“The additions were paid for privately,” he said. “The Legislature will not impact its construction.”

Perez said the designs for the building are near completion. Construction will begin soon after designs are finished.

8. Park Building:



Paul Brinkman, associate vice president for budget and planning, said the U gets $12 million to $15 million each year from the Legislature to do major preventative maintenance on campus buildings. The construction under way on the Park Building was paid for with this funding.

(Before renovation)

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/news/m...inue_despite_state_budget_cuts-1.1371477

[SLC Projects]

I didn't know there was so many different projects going on right now or about to start up at the U. Thanks for the rundown.

[delts145]

Yeah, thanks Steve. I love that the U. has so much going on! Also, most of the building designs are world class.

[Justnslcsugarhood.]

Originally Posted by Urban_logic

You mean like this?







.

YES! YES! YES! why are all of our photos of the city at such bad angles, we need soooo many more of these.
this is amazing thank you soo much!

[Justnslcsugarhood.]

Just making a qualitative comparison in down towns, I think in this photo of SLC we rival Denver in how beautiful our downtown looks in terms of skyscrapers. Denver may be taller but we are sooo much more attractive.

[Comrade]

Well great, now you did it.

[wong21fr]

Nah,

We're past the petty rivalries.

[T-Mac]

I really like both cities. Salt Lake City has a better back-drop with the mountains being right there, but I also really like Denver and the area's around it. My sister-in-law lives there.

[Justnslcsugarhood.]

Sorry

[Wasatch_One]

Originally Posted by T-Mac

I really like both cities. Salt Lake City has a better back-drop with the mountains being right there, but I also really like Denver and the area's around it. My sister-in-law lives there.

I like Denver too... I am out there fairly often and have become pretty familiar with it. I think if I didn't live in Utah, I would consider Denver... they're very similar in my opinion (though this statement will probably make Denver forumers cringe, haha )

[Urban_logic]

Originally Posted by UTAZLoVer

Yeah! Regent Street would make a perfect pedestrian only thoroughfare - especially with the new Broadway-style theater there. I think it would be really cool to try and make Regent into something like Maiden Lane in San Francisco (one of my favorite little streets!). Something like this:


photo by Robin


photo from Laurent Castellani, flickr

There is a little gate on either end communicating that it is for pedestrians only - and it has a very european feel while keeping a san francisco vibe. We could do the same, while keeping a very SLC feel. See the gate?


photo by sanfranciscodays.com

What do you all think?

Well, anything with San Francisco in it wins my approval lol San Francisco is a great example of how to make pedestrian walkways and more pedestrian-oriented developments. I think SLC would become so much more attractive from the street level if it tried to integrate streets like this (Rengent St, but also in many other places!)

Originally Posted by Justnslcsugarhood.

YES! YES! YES! why are all of our photos of the city at such bad angles, we need soooo many more of these.
this is amazing thank you soo much!

Your most welcome I do love that picture!!

The two things I perfer about SLC over Denver are both geographic. 1) The SLC Valley's floor is a good 1,000 feet lower than Denver's with the Wasatch Mts roughly the same elevation as Denver's Front Range, making the Wasatch in SLC look quite a bit taller than the Front Range Mts in Denver. The second thing is how mid-western the Denver area looks. Unless you're looking East, you feel like you're in Kansas City or something. SLC, on the other hand, is sorounded by mountains (Wasatch to the East, Ocquirs to the West, Traverse Range to the South, and then those mountains on the other side of the Great Salt Lake that I'm not sure the name of). Ok, I have a third. Down town Denver is quite far from the mountains, whereas down town SLC is right up against the mountains. I remember eating at a resteraunt out on the street in dt Denver. I looked down the street and saw the mountain peaks way off in the distance and felt so divorced from them. In SLC, however, you can almost reach your hand out of your office window and touch the mountians (ok, so that was an exageration, but you get my point ). I love how in the Southwest corner of the valley, you can see 120 miles of the Wasatch (from Ben Lomen to just south of Timpanogas)

Utah's Wasatch:


Colorado's Front Range:

[CONative]

Originally Posted by Justnslcsugarhood.

Just making a qualitative comparison in down towns, I think in this photo of SLC we rival Denver in how beautiful our downtown looks in terms of skyscrapers. Denver may be taller but we are sooo much more attractive.

That picture of Denver is very old - about 20 years old. We have more buildings in there now.

[Urban_logic]

I'm not sure where to put this, but I'm assuming this is probably the most relevent thread.



It's very interesting how diverse our valley is - especially in terms of earthquake hazards. If a major earthquake were to strike, it looks like the down town area and West Valley will suffer the most severe damage along with the I-15 corridor. Any ideas as to why these areas are such hazards? It looks like the most important areas of the metro are in the most threatened areas (down town SLC, the Int'll Airport, the I-15 Corridor). Transportation will be crippled when a 7.0+ strikes (note that I said "will be" and not "would be" because this WILL happen). I'm guessing that these areas have lots of loosely deposited sediments (notice how the hazard zones flow toward the GSL and along the Jordan River).

Does anyone know if there are earthquake prepardness plans in place for SL County? I'm thinking that the airport in West Jordan could possibly be used to fly in relief supplies due to its location well outside of the hazard zones since the SLC Int'll Airport will be crippled due to earthquake damage. As to roads, It looks like both I-15 and I-80 could both potentially be severed, which would really be bad. I suppose supplies could be trucked in through Redwood Road from Utah County in the South.

Any thoughts? Anyone know of plans in place to prepare for something like this?



All I've got to say is that I'm glad I live well out of the danger zones

[Justnslcsugarhood.]

Originally Posted by Urban_logic

I'm not sure where to put this, but I'm assuming this is probably the most relevent thread.



It's very interesting how diverse our valley is - especially in terms of earthquake hazards. If a major earthquake were to strike, it looks like the down town area and West Valley will suffer the most severe damage along with the I-15 corridor. Any ideas as to why these areas are such hazards? It looks like the most important areas of the metro are in the most threatened areas (down town SLC, the Int'll Airport, the I-15 Corridor). Transportation will be crippled when a 7.0+ strikes (note that I said "will be" and not "would be" because this WILL happen). I'm guessing that these areas have lots of loosely deposited sediments (notice how the hazard zones flow toward the GSL and along the Jordan River).

Does anyone know if there are earthquake prepardness plans in place for SL County? I'm thinking that the airport in West Jordan could possibly be used to fly in relief supplies due to its location well outside of the hazard zones since the SLC Int'll Airport will be crippled due to earthquake damage. As to roads, It looks like both I-15 and I-80 could both potentially be severed, which would really be bad. I suppose supplies could be trucked in through Redwood Road from Utah County in the South.

Any thoughts? Anyone know of plans in place to prepare for something like this?



All I've got to say is that I'm glad I live well out of the danger zones

I haven't heard of anythings sorry.

also we should look to Mexico City as an example for future construction. You should check out how amazingly earthquake proof their city is and all the ways they have found to make it that way. In one building people didn't realize there was an earthquake until they saw people evacuating from other buildings around them. Also they have solved their issues with liquefaction as well.

P.S. this is why I have no problem with our tallest building being four hundred and twenty feet only

[Comrade]

Downtown, Glendale and Rose Park are probably going to be the worst off in an earthquake, especially if the Great Salt Lake returns to its higher level. Not only will you have to deal with liquefication, but the possibility of some serious flooding.

Unfortunately, my house is located on the east bench, just east of the Wasatch Fault. On the map, it's in the Very High area. My home is also made of brick, which doesn't hold up in major quakes.

[MetroFanatic]

Well... I feel better about living in WeJo (my take on homies calling South Jordan SoJo) now. It would really suck if said Earthquake were to strike at night in a winter month.

Everytime I hear something about "the big one" it freaks me out even more. Thanks.

[urbanboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZoMFoqdYx0

Go to 3:50

[ski_steve]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Downtown, Glendale and Rose Park are probably going to be the worst off in an earthquake, especially if the Great Salt Lake returns to its higher level. Not only will you have to deal with liquefication, but the possibility of some serious flooding.

Unfortunately, my house is located on the east bench, just east of the Wasatch Fault. On the map, it's in the Very High area. My home is also made of brick, which doesn't hold up in major quakes.

Ive actually heard that when we get our "big one", somehow the Great Salt Lake will actually raise, well the ground under it. And therefore glendale, rose park, and downtown will be flooded by the lake, because that area is suppose to drop. Or something like that, downtown is suppose to flood.

I know what you mean Comrade, the house where I live was built in 1875, out of sandstone, on the east bench. Its crazy that the beams holding up these houses are literally logs.