Salt Lake:Official development news thread - Part 2

[Justnslcsugarhood.]

Originally Posted by Viperlord

Found a rendering of this project.






unfortunatly it looks like this project will sit on the site of the proposed lexi tower.

http://www.jardevco.com/galPlazaCondos.html

I really hope this doesn't replace the Lexi Towers :/. Is that parcel of land big enough to house two residential developments?

I do love the idea that it's being built for those transitioning out of being homeless, though. I believe we need a few more projects like this before we could hope to see a drop in homelessness but this and Richards court I believe it's called is a great start .

[TonyAnderson]

Originally Posted by Wasatch_One

A little FYI, the definition of a desert is < 10" of precip.

Downtown SLC receives around 20" per year. The Airport is prob the driest part of the valley gets ~16.5" but doesn't really represent SLC since no one really lives around there. The Avenues and on the east bench get about 20" - 25"+ on average depending on elevation.

In comparison, Denver gets about 15" of precip a year
San Diego CA gets ~11"
LA ~14"
Phoenix ~8"
Las Vegas ~4.5"
Boise ~12"
Albuquerque ~7"

...Just a little stat for the day

Most of the SLC's precipitation is in the winter though. I wouldn't classify winter as desert, but summer sure has some of the characteristics. For instance, Denver has about 5.5 - 6 inches of precipitation in the summer months compared to about 2 inches for SLC. (June, July, August)

[WeST]

Originally Posted by delts145

I would much rather have the wide streets and big blocks, which have an incredible slate for exceptional planning, as we are now seeing with Gateway, CCC, Regent, Richards, Gallivan, the ease of TRAX and future trolleys, etc., etc., etc. Much of what has been done here in the CBD over the past few years would be very difficult to impossible in other cities that I frequent or have lived in.

How fortunate Downtown Salt Lake is to have the freedom to choose a wide thorougfare for traffic flow, and at the same time design massive, monumental spaces, such as the Library or LDS Conference center, or the ease of winding light rail and trolleys throughout the entire downtown. The SLC CBD is creating and restoring many intimate and charming thouroughfares. They're emerging all over downtown. How many cities would love to be able to have the limitless creativity that is possible with the carving of Salt Lakes inner blocks or to be able to create massive pedestrian sidewalks, brimming with interesting detail like Main, and yet have plenty of room for outdoor dining, limited traffic flow and TRAX down the middle.

I am continually frustrated by many downtown streets in so many cities like L.A., which are lined by massive towers yet are so small as to allow nothing except a narrow sidewalk. Often, even when a newspaper vending machine is added, it creates havoc with pedestrians. Many streets in most downtowns are sterile, vapid and completely devoid of charm, even though they are lined with towers. Sure there are wonderful streets in downtown L.A., or any numberless other downtowns. The frustrating thing is, they also have too much of the other crap with no potential. They will always be that way, no matter how creative an urban planner is, he or she will never be able to resurrect or create a charming and beautiful street engagement. The dye has been irreversibly cast in too many downtowns. Not so in Salt Lake.

Delts 145 you have been a great advocate and positive voice for downtown and the greater region for sometime. I have read numerous posts and been uplifted and motivated by your thoughtful analysis and arguments. You are not a mindless cheerleader ignorant to the states short comings or problems, but you choose to accentuate the vast positives that Utah has in spades. Despite your many past posts, this maybe (and the one prior to it) your magnum opus. I could not have said it better, probably because I haven't thought about some of the things you point out. This is not to brown-nose or otherwise be silly, but to recognize you as a refreshing bright light of positivity in a world that too often only accentuates the negative. Those in the future who seek to move for a better quality of life or to expand their business would be wise to not overlook this state. Utahns should never feel they have to apologize for anything; our state can hold its ground with any other out there.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by Smuttynose1

Hey everybody, I just moved to SLC from New England on Thursday and I've finally had a chance to check out the city a bit. One question, everybody back home keeps asking me what the lake, and I have no answers because I have yet to see it. Looking on the map, it's pretty obvious that the city is pretty well-positioned away from the lake. But is there any type of waterfront at all? Any river that goes through town? I haven't come across anything.

Also, yesterday I walked from Main Street to the Gateway Center. It was about 4 p.m. and both Main Street and the Gateway were pretty hopping, but the area in between seems like a kind of a no-man's land. The sheer size of the convention center and the ridiculously wide and pedestrian-unfriendly Route 89 seem to do a good job of acting as a barrier between the two areas.

Assuming the city's ordinances are changed, my suggestion would be a development centered around nightlife situated just north or south of the convention center to try to bridge the two areas with a center of activity. A good case study might be the Power and Light District in Kansas City, Mo. - a relatively new pedestrian-friendly nightlife district built adjacent to their sports arena. The center of the development features an outdoor stage surrounded by two levels of bars and clubs that spill out around the stage. I spent a night in KC on my way out here and was really impressed by how successful it seems to be. I've attached some pictures of the district below. Let me know what you think.


Credit: Oregonian newspaper


Credit: KCUR

That's a pretty good observation. I echo your comments! The initial plans for the gateway had shown plans to connect Gateway by infilling along the way from West Temple to Gateway along 200 south. The architect (Jerde Partnership) of the Gateway has plans published for the initial connection design to the Gateway. You can look it up. The infill part was difficult because of having to deal with all of the individual owners. But, I totally agree. I mentioned this before, but I wish we has an aggressive developer who would develop these delapidated infill areas as Salt Lake's restaurant and entertainment district. The area I'm describing is 300 south(Broadway) from Main to 300 west. Market Street from Main to West Temple. Pierpont from West Temple to 200 West. 200 south from 200 west to 300 west. Restaruant Row!! Also, the corner of 300 west and south temple between the current convention hotel and 300 west. The new convention hotel could be placed there or where the current ugly u.s. post office on the nw corner of 200 west and 200 south.

Do you have any more pics of the kansas city stuff? Is there a forum with updated pics of all the power & light district?

btw, welcome to the salt lake forum!

[WeST]

Originally Posted by delts145

Those stats are an interesting reminder Wasatch. I think even we locals make incorrect assumptions, based on our hobbies and interests. It's pretty easy to forget that there are several different climates within a few miles of each other, depending on the elevation and or location.

Smuttynose, A big welcome to the area!! There are a few things to keep in mind now that you are living here. First, there is no more convenient metro to outdoor sports of all kinds than the Wasatch Front, and that includes water sports. Utah has the fifth most shoreline of any state in the nation. You'll want to start planning your getaway to Lake Powell as soon as possible. If you've never been there and you love the outdoors, water skiing, and lake related activities in general, Lake Powell is a phenomenan unlike any other.

The Great Salt Lake is vast and has many diverse aspects, including a large section for water skiing. There are countless nature watching activities related to the Great Salt Lake, and I'm not going to take the time to cover them. Whether your into one of the world's great bird refuges, or want to take part in bison watching. Just use the internet and investigate for yourself.

As was stated above there are countless spectacular canyons, trails, lakes, streams, rivers and reservoirs, throughout the metro.

Many cities brag about their parks, but none of them could even come close to the beauty of the inumerable hiking and biking trails that intersect through this metro. You don't have to travel several hours to experience wilderness- like beauty, it's right in your back yard.

As far as development between CCC and Gateway. Remember that only a little over ten years ago Gateway was pretty much a dream on the drawing board. Much has happened in the way of residential and commercial development between central downtown and the Gateway district. There's still allot to do, but it is happening and changing significantly each year. Always remember, that if you don't like it now, give it a few months. There is rarely a week that doesn't go by, even in this economy, that something significant is announced relating to development downtown and the surrounding metro. Whether it's a new apartment complex, museum, park, public space, major transportation, commercial space/hangout, etc., there's always something significant being added to downtown, and also the immediate metro.

Don't forget the numerous world class resorts within minutes of the metro. If you're into very cool Main Street experiences, then the metro's Park City is as cool as they get on any weekend, Sundance, or during ski season.

Whatever the activity, whether concert going, restaurant/bar hopping, hiking, etc. etc., just ask the forumers. You'll probably get more suggestions than you'll know what to do with.

.

An interesting point to add to delts great post. Not only do we have an abundance of great things to do and see in the state, but we are geographically blessed with fantastic proximity to the greater region. According to "americasbestonline.net", which ranks the top ten of everything, they ranked the top ten National Parks and Utah did very well. Not only did Utah have two in the list (Utah and Wyoming being the only states), we are less than an 12 hour drive to all, but 2 in the list! That kind of access is phenomenal! While these lists are highly debatable and subjective, it is undebatable that Utah stands apart in its quality of life provided by such things as location.

http://www.americasbestonline.net/index.php/pages/nationalparks.html

This list is:

1. Yosemite, CA
2. Glacier, MT
3. Acadia, MA
4. Zion, UT
5. Denali, AK
6. Arches, UT
7. Grand Teton, WY
8. Grand Canyon, AZ
9. Yellowstone, WY
10. Rocky Mountain, CO

[T-Mac]

[urbanboy]

Thank you T-Mac! Nice pictures!

It would have been nice had the architect of the new federal courthouse somehow saved and incorporated this piece into the project, either as part of the structure, or as a monument on the grounds.





Also, love this shot:

Originally Posted by T-Mac

These structures make great neighbors!

[Zionide]

I just heard a rumor that the Radio City Lounge, the tavern at 147 South State, is closing today because their building was purchased by Questar, which plans to demolish the structure for more parking for their employees.

Do any of you guys know if this is true? I can't believe we might end up with another parking lot fronting State right in the middle of downtown! It's really frustrating.

[T-Mac]

Thanks Urbanboy.

[delts145]

I agree, that does make for a great looking mix of structures now. As for the other side, I hope the government doesn't drag on for years on the courts project.

And WeST, thanks for the kind words. I know some might not believe it, but I see problems galore, as with any city. My enthusiasm for Salt Lake and it's Metro is that it seems to tackle the problems, and continues to progress quickly enough that we can all feel justified hope for the future.

[delts145]

Tracy Aviary renovations move forward
SLC » Consultant outlines plans for new exhibits, building revamp.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13190037?source=rv

...The aviary, founded in 1938, is moving forward with an ambitious plan to remake its attractions, and build appeal for patrons in winter months. To that end, the aviary has $19.6 million to spend, authorized in a November ballot. Administrators are tasked with making the renovations and upgrades in three years, said project consultant Paul Svendsen.

.

[cololi]

Originally Posted by urbanboy

800 South is the first intersection free of TRAX, I don't think something like this could work on any of the intersections further north because of the existing rails. I don't think 800 South is too far away, I actually think it would be a great opportunity to stretch development further south along Main Street. Also this intersection is still within the Downtown Boundaries. It's likely that, eventually, Downtown will expand that far south. Therefore It might be nice to have a public space all ready for when that does happen. When Central Park in New York was designated as a public park, many thought it was too far away. Now look what has happened. Perhaps an intersection such as this will end up being a focal point in one of downtown's districts.

with some creativity, trax can be incorporated or designed around a southern downtown monument. It is hardly a barrier. Infrastructure needs to be viewed as something more than just necessary. Infrastructure can be public art.

As far as stretching development, downtown SLC is already too sprawling and the boundaries include way too much land for a region of our size. I would rather see us concentrate on the area between North Temple to 500 South and 200 East to I-15 before stretching south. You are right, downtown will stretch south. The development in that general area over the past 5 years, demonstrates that the 900 South area will develop into more of an urban residential neighborhood than anything else. If you put a monument around 400 South, in the future you could put another monument around 900 South on Main so you have a series of monuments on the most important street in the City. The 900 South monument could celebrate and reflect the character of an urban residential neighborhood.

Kind of funny comparing an intersection monument to central park, I chuckled.

[cololi]

Originally Posted by Zionide

I just heard a rumor that the Radio City Lounge, the tavern at 147 South State, is closing today because their building was purchased by Questar, which plans to demolish the structure for more parking for their employees.

Do any of you guys know if this is true? I can't believe we might end up with another parking lot fronting State right in the middle of downtown! It's really frustrating.

This type of thing would require a conditional use permit approved by the Planning Commission. mid block parking lots and structure also require first floor retail/restaurant/office sapce and there are some design standards that must be met. The Planning Commission has a recent history of denying this type of conditional use. Not saying they would deny this particular petition, but they have successfully stopped the old Zephyr building from being demolished for a parking lot for some time now.

[Justnslcsugarhood.]

Good news everyone, we are now showing positive growth in our economy.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7401210


and from this angle we look like Portland.

[delts145]

A very heartening report indeed Justn, thanks for the post.

[East2Westback]

Not really! As a matter of fact it really is very different.

Just my opinion...not an argument!

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by Smuttynose1

Hey everybody, I just moved to SLC from New England on Thursday and I've finally had a chance to check out the city a bit. One question, everybody back home keeps asking me what the lake, and I have no answers because I have yet to see it. Looking on the map, it's pretty obvious that the city is pretty well-positioned away from the lake. But is there any type of waterfront at all? Any river that goes through town? I haven't come across anything.

Also, yesterday I walked from Main Street to the Gateway Center. It was about 4 p.m. and both Main Street and the Gateway were pretty hopping, but the area in between seems like a kind of a no-man's land. The sheer size of the convention center and the ridiculously wide and pedestrian-unfriendly Route 89 seem to do a good job of acting as a barrier between the two areas.

Assuming the city's ordinances are changed, my suggestion would be a development centered around nightlife situated just north or south of the convention center to try to bridge the two areas with a center of activity. A good case study might be the Power and Light District in Kansas City, Mo. - a relatively new pedestrian-friendly nightlife district built adjacent to their sports arena. The center of the development features an outdoor stage surrounded by two levels of bars and clubs that spill out around the stage. I spent a night in KC on my way out here and was really impressed by how successful it seems to be. I've attached some pictures of the district below. Let me know what you think.


Credit: Oregonian newspaper


Credit: KCUR

Regarding the detachment from Gateway to Main Street. Their initial intentions were to connect. The attached photo below shows the initial master plan intending to develop along south temple and 200 south from Main to 400 west. Take a look. This image is not oriented north at the top it is oriented as north on the right, east to the bottom, south to the left, etc. The blocks along south temple show a quad of buildings for each block which I believe is in an old master plan by the LDS church. I know they one day want to develop those blocks into some sort of campus-like development.


For more information, here is the website I got this from: http://www.jerde.com/flash.php

I have also seen a version more like what is built today, but it had shown connecting developments along 200 south. I know it's published in the book about the Jerde Partnership.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by T-Mac

How about this?........Feds make deal with Port O'Call to move into the newly moved Odd Fellows Hall building???? What do you think????

[Smuttynose1]

Thanks Orlando, interesting information. If Salt Lake were to consider something as large as Power & Light, it would certainly be nice to do something with the surface parking lot between N. Temple and S. Temple between the LDS Campus and the Gateway, though I imagine that being so close to the temple, a restaurant/nightlife district might be controversial in that block. The block immediately south of the basketball arena and the block immediately east of that (that's basically boxed in by the convention center) appear pretty underutilized and might work as well.

As for the Power and Light Dist., there's a good video describing it and accompanying map and article at http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/05/portland_rose_quarter_kansas_c.html Apparently, Portland is considering something similar near its arena.

Also, if you go to http://www.kcphotos.com/albums/61/ and scroll down to about halfway down the page, there are a number of photos of the area and an aerial showing its position in the city.

There's also a similar, though smaller district, developed by the same company in Louisville, Ky, called Fourth Street Live!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Street_Live!

[urbanboy]

Originally Posted by Smuttynose1

Thanks Orlando, interesting information. If Salt Lake were to consider something as large as Power & Light, it would certainly be nice to do something with the surface parking lot between N. Temple and S. Temple between the LDS Campus and the Gateway, though I imagine that being so close to the temple, a restaurant/nightlife district might be controversial in that block.

The LDS church already has intentions of expanding the BYU Salt Lake Center onto that block.