Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Stenar

And it's official.

Trader Joe’s to open store in SLC

A popular chain of grocery stores plans to open its first Utah location later this year.
Trader Joe’s announced it has leased space at 634 E 400 S in Salt Lake City. The new store is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2012.
The store will be part of The Family Center at East Downtown. According to a press release from the company, “Trader Joe’s carries an extensive array of domestic and imported foods and beverages including fresh baked artisan breads, Arabica bean coffees, international frozen entrées, 100% juices, fresh crop nuts, deli items, and vitamins and supplements, as well as the basics, like milk and eggs.”
Trader Joe’s first Utah location will be approximately 12,700 square feet in size.


Source: fox13now.com

Wow! I am extremely disappointed with the choice of location. Smith's Market Place, Whole Foods, and Sunflower Market are all within 3 blocks of that location. As if another grocery store is needed in the area.

There are a lot of residence on the west end of town. Gateway condos and apartments, everything around pioneer park, everything in the 600 west area that exist and is under construction, new apartments on north temple, the marmalade district which has not had a grocery store since Safeway left Utah.

So what's the deal? Why do we need 4 grocery stores within a 3 block radius while the west end of the city continues to get shat on??? I was hoping trader Joe's would do something in the gateway / rio grand pioneer park area.

I guess we can hope that smiths or fresh market will put something in the area... Not likely though :-(   

Sorry for the rant but it's pretty much bulls*** that there are so many grocery stores so close while a huge part of town is neglected.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

I do have some good news to share though it is extremely vague. The Tribune Building will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation. They are supposed to take out permits this week so it should clarify things at that point. It will have a residential component and it will have another component but I'm not quite sure what it is. I have heard a few things but they were all so vague that I won't even mention them. Whatever it turns out to be; it's good news to me.

So I guess this means that the Broadway tower is back to the corner of 100 S. and Main just as first planned.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

Wow! I am extremely disappointed with the choice of location. Smith's Market Place, Whole Foods, and Sunflower Market are all within 3 blocks of that location. As if another grocery store is needed in the area.

There are a lot of residence on the west end of town. Gateway condos and apartments, everything around pioneer park, everything in the 600 west area that exist and is under construction, new apartments on north temple, the marmalade district which has not had a grocery store since Safeway left Utah.

So what's the deal? Why do we need 4 grocery stores within a 3 block radius while the west end of the city continues to get shat on??? I was hoping trader Joe's would do something in the gateway / rio grand pioneer park area.

I guess we can hope that smiths or fresh market will put something in the area... Not likely though :-(   

Sorry for the rant but it's pretty much bulls*** that there are so many grocery stores so close while a huge part of town is neglected.

My guess would be there's by far more residence on the east side of downtown vs the west side. But as the west side continues to redevelop more housing units then there will be a more demand for such stores.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by stayinginformed

Construction has officially begun at the apartment complex next to the Biomat building on North Temple. There has been workers on site every day for the past week or so. This morning on my commute into town, I noticed that they had a concrete pumper laying down concrete.

I noticed this as well. I'm excited. It will look pretty nice between 600 west and i15. Hopefully the old biomat building is fixed up... Also the south east corner of 600 west and n temple needs a little help

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

My guess would be there's by far more residence on the east side of downtown vs the west side. But as the west side continues to redevelop more housing units then there will be a more demand for such stores.

Are you kidding? There are easily enough resistance on the west end to justify one grocery store.. I would argue that two would even work.

I would say put one on 300 west between 5th and 6th north where Safeway use to be and another one closer to pioneer park..... 

Or put one larger one on north temple between 300 and 400 west... There is a large plot of land west of the Howard Johnson express that would work... I wouldn't be sad if they even ripped the HJ express down

[stayinginformed]

Great news on both the Trader Joe's and the Tribune building. I am glad there is a residential component to it, and think it will be a great place to live when complete.

Here is a picture of the apartment next to Biomat on North Temple that has begun construction.


Also, the Blue Boutique has moved from their pink building on North Temple and 800 West. Now that location can be bought or leased by another local business.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by stayinginformed

Also, the Blue Boutique has moved from their pink building on North Temple and 800 West. Now that location can be bought or leased by another local business.

That is some great news. Hopefully they rip the pink piece of garbage down

Or at least paint it!

Where did the blue boteeqe move to?

[stayinginformed]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

That is some great news. Hopefully they rip the pink piece of garbage down

Or at least paint it!

Where did the blue boteeqe move to?

Hopefully they do not tear the building down, it is actually a nice little brick building other than the pink front with the columns.

They moved to 300 West a little bit north of Target on the east side of the street.

[stayinginformed]

I think Fox13 is right, because KSL is also stating that it is in the Family Center Shopping Center--which is on the south side of 400 south. Presumably in the Old Navy location.

[ajiuO]

P.s. 634 E 400 south is a former old navy address... That is where it is going

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by stayinginformed

I think Fox13 is right, because KSL is also stating that it is in the Family Center Shopping Center--which is on the south side of 400 south. Presumably in the Old Navy location.

FOX13 has also updated their website with a photo of the old Old Navy store site.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

Wow! I am extremely disappointed with the choice of location. Smith's Market Place, Whole Foods, and Sunflower Market are all within 3 blocks of that location. As if another grocery store is needed in the area.

There are a lot of residence on the west end of town. Gateway condos and apartments, everything around pioneer park, everything in the 600 west area that exist and is under construction, new apartments on north temple, the marmalade district which has not had a grocery store since Safeway left Utah.

So what's the deal? Why do we need 4 grocery stores within a 3 block radius while the west end of the city continues to get shat on??? I was hoping trader Joe's would do something in the gateway / rio grand pioneer park area.

I guess we can hope that smiths or fresh market will put something in the area... Not likely though :-(   

Sorry for the rant but it's pretty much bulls*** that there are so many grocery stores so close while a huge part of town is neglected.

I agree. Having Trader Joe's on the west side of downtown would have been a boon to that area. If they could have only had the vision.

[chad.farnes]

Awesome to hear about the Tribune Building and a potential public market. I would love for that to happen in the Rio Grande Station and think it would fit it perfect.

As far as the location of the Trader Joes, I too am disappointed (although I would have been more disappointed had they gone to Holladay). That makes three stores that I would consider "hippy" or at least more expensive/more environmentally conscious (and I don't mean that offensively because I do all my shopping at them) within 4 blocks (Whole Foods, Sunflower, and Trader Joes), not to mention the Safeway which is right next-door. I think that somewhere by Pioneer Park would have been a better location. But, it is better than nothing, so I'll take the location over nothing.

Great day for development in Salt Lake.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

I do have some good news to share though it is extremely vague. The Tribune Building will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation. They are supposed to take out permits this week so it should clarify things at that point. It will have a residential component and it will have another component but I'm not quite sure what it is. I have heard a few things but they were all so vague that I won't even mention them. Whatever it turns out to be; it's good news to me.

That is great news UTPlanner!! Keep us posted.

I was just talking with friends today about Trader Joes, and hoping it would come to Salt Lake soon. They were surprised that Salt Lake didn't already have the store. I too would like to see Trader Joes in the Pioneer Park vicinity, but from their perspective that area is just not quite ready for them yet. Give it just a few more years and a little more upscale, hipster, urban bohemian density. There's still just a little too few urban residents. It won't be long though.

[DCRes]

That is a lot of good news in one day! I too am glad that TJ is downtown and not in Holiday. Glad to hear that the Tribune building renovation will include residential, adding even more people living downtown. The Public Market news, while very vague, could be the biggest news of all. If this really means that the Rio Grande will become a permanent location i think that it is a great use for this historic building and will add to the west side of downtown.

Funny how the forum was so slow for about a week and now it's buzzing again.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

Are you kidding? There are easily enough resistance on the west end to justify one grocery store.. I would argue that two would even work.

I would say put one on 300 west between 5th and 6th north where Safeway use to be and another one closer to pioneer park..... 

Or put one larger one on north temple between 300 and 400 west... There is a large plot of land west of the Howard Johnson express that would work... I wouldn't be sad if they even ripped the HJ express down

These large national retailers, don't just haphazardly pick locations when opening new locations. They have a team or hire team of individuals to scout locations and do large amounts of research as to what location will best fit their needs, what location best meets their demographic criteria. Yes there is a lot of people on the west side of downtown and the west side of the city, but obviously they don't meet the demographic needs of a more niche grocery store like Trader Joe's. There are a lot of low income housing units in the marmalade district, and west downtown, besides West downtown, the rest of the west side of the city is sufficiently served by grocery stores. Smiths on 600 N, Smiths on 400 S, and Viva Market on N. Temple.

There is a reason that SunFlower Market, Whole Foods and now Trader Joe's located where they do. A much larger pool of residents. These location selection teams also have other principals behind location selection, often times they prefer to locate near other grocery stores as they recieve a spill over effect simply based on proximity. A first location in a new market can make or break a chain in that market, and the image that it portrays to the residents.

[CountyLemonade]

Also, don't forget that Trader Joe's will be located right next to the Red Line station, which is something neither Whole Foods nor Sunflower Market can claim. I can see TJ's becoming popular with U students who will Trax it down from campus to 6th East.

[wrendog]

I've never really cared much for Trader Joes. Never seen the appeal. But hey, my sister is beyond excited, so that's cool.

[stayinginformed]

Originally Posted by wrendog

I've never really cared much for Trader Joes. Never seen the appeal. But hey, my sister is beyond excited, so that's cool.

Yeah, I will probably continue to do most of my shopping at Harmons--at least they are a local chain. Unless of course there is a spectacular sale price on something at Trader Joe's.

[goldcntry]

About Trader Joes... two words: Orange Chicken.

My family loves their Orange Chicken stuffed with micro-greens in a fresh Trader Joes pita. Good stuff. The other nice thing is that much of their specialty stuff, while similar to Whole Foods, is far, far cheaper than Whole Foods.

In Architecture news... anyone have pic updates on the Public Safety center? The structure that I could spy from the downtown office last week looked massive without being high in elevation. Needless to say, it was difficult to make out through the sun-lit haze...