Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[SLC Projects]

A change in subject.........

With the outdoors summer retail show coming up here in a little bit what are our chances of maybe finally hearing more info on the 1000+ Hotel? With only two or three years left of having these shows here in Salt Lake you'd think the city would JUMP on this right away.

[delts145]

Photo Bump

A few favorites from http://instagrid.me/tag/citycreekcenter/
















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[Future Mayor]

I had to make a stop by a local restaurant downtown today and I noticed that the retail space on the north side of the Walker Bank building has interior finishing being completed. The sign the UPS/Fedex on the door said something about a fine art gallery. One more Main St retail space no longer availalble.

[DCRes]

Drove by the La Porte group project last night. All buildings now are completely demolished

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I had to make a stop by a local restaurant downtown today and I noticed that the retail space on the north side of the Walker Bank building has interior finishing being completed. The sign the UPS/Fedex on the door said something about a fine art gallery. One more Main St retail space no longer availalble.

Are you referring to the retail space at the base of the Walker Building, just North of the entrance? If so, that's great news!

[SLCdude]

I'm back in Salt Lake! Thanks for keeping me updated. I'm excited to see the progress for myself now!

[tivogirl]

Article on the Chalk Garden Co-op, which opens Aug. 1. Ty Burrell (Modern Family) is co-owner:

Chalk Garden returns to Salt Lake City
By Dana Ferguson | The Salt Lake Tribune

Twelve years after The Chalk Garden closed its doors at Trolley Square, an updated version of the women’s clothing shop is set to open on Salt Lake City’s Main Street Aug. 1.

Jeff Barnard, whose father John operated the former store, describes the latest edition as
"The Chalk Garden reinvented," and is calling it Chalk Garden Co-op.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/54463467-79/chalk-garden-barnard-store.html.csp

[UTPlanner]

In response to an earlier remark about the convention hotel, it probably will never be a city project as the convention center is county owned. The city may help with the project but the county needs to take the lead. Last month, the SL County Council discussed hiring a consultant for yet another study. I would not expect to hear anything substantial for a while and it definitely will be after the November elections.

Also a developer has been discussing building two new hotels on property they own on the SW corner of 100 South 300 West just south of the ESA. I don't know details about the branding but the two hotels would share a parking garage and each building would be 6 or 7 stories tall. They will be submitting more detailed information in the next week or two. I'm not sure what kind of impact building two smaller hotels would have on the convention hotel but I'm sure there would be an impact.

[Future Mayor]

If I'm not mistaken I believe the County Council's discussion on the consultant wasn't to study if we needed the hotel but was rather a study on how to fund it.

As far as the property south of ESA, two buildings 6 - 7 stories each seems like a huge waste for that location with it's proximity to ESA and to the Salt Palace.

[Makid]

Isn't that block part of the Gateway zone? If it is, they might not be able to go much higher because the Gateway zone has height restrictions.

If the area is outside of the Gateway zone, they should have done a single 14 story building rather than 2 smaller building.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Makid

Isn't that block part of the Gateway zone? If it is, they might not be able to go much higher because the Gateway zone has height restrictions.

If the area is outside of the Gateway zone, they should have done a single 14 story building rather than 2 smaller building.

It's a D-4 Downtown Secondary zone. Maximum height 75' and up to 120' as a conditional use. This is the same zoning designation as the area surrounding the 900 S Trax station, which has a lot of residential single family homes, it makes sense in that area but not surrounding ESA.

The zoning designation needs to be changed, in my opinion. One reason this needs to change is that the best location for the Convention Hotel, on the post office site, is also currently zoned D-4. We need to allow for additional heights in more areas surrounding the CBD, downtown, including the height of buildings needs to be able to grow, particulary south and west of the CBD. I am fine with the gateway zoning district and west to I-15 having a maximum height of 75', which it currently does, with no conditional heights, but areas east of 400 W need to be changed to D-1 Central Business District, or create a new district, that allow for heights greater than 75' but not as tall as the D-1. Am I the only one that feels that ESA shoud have taller buildings near it?

Here is a link to the current zoning map.
http://www.slcclassic.com/ced/planning/pages/PDFs/CentralCommunity.pdf

As for building one taller building of 14 I am guessing they are building two different buildings that will each house a different hotel brand, or level of brand. For instance one building may be a Courtyard while the other may be a Fairfiled, and combining those into one building might not make sense.

[Makid]

I am fine with the gateway zoning district and west to I-15 having a maximum height of 75', which it currently does, with no conditional heights, but areas east of 400 W need to be changed to D-1 Central Business District, or create a new district, that allow for heights greater than 75' but not as tall as the D-1.

I also agree with this.

[Tymtw12]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

Also a developer has been discussing building two new hotels on property they own on the SW corner of 100 South 300 West just south of the ESA. I don't know details about the branding but the two hotels would share a parking garage and each building would be 6 or 7 stories tall. They will be submitting more detailed information in the next week or two. I'm not sure what kind of impact building two smaller hotels would have on the convention hotel but I'm sure there would be an impact.

Not sure if it is this project or not, but Johansen Thackery is working on an Embassy Suites project downtown. I don't know the location that they are planning on using.

I also heard a through a slip of a tongue last week that there may be near future plans to demolish Royal Wood (not for the convention hotel). Just a rumor, but very interesting nonetheless.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

A couple of comments. I view the comments a very healthy debate, for the most part there wasn't horrible name calling, I think both sides made their points and opinions know.

While I agree with Comrade on the need, purpose and proven success for mixed income developements, I also agree with arkhitektor on Citifront on North Temple. I went into that place 7 or so years ago when the place was still only a few years old, and that place was absolutely discusting, and I will agree it was slummy, trashy, ghetto, whatever word you want to use.

I think a major issue comes down to the managment of the properties. Citifront manangment either doesn't care to attract market rate renters or they just don't know how to properly manage. I think Cowboy Partners does a much better job managing their properties.

I think there is a fine line that the city and developers need to walk as to the percentage of restricted income units a complex can have. I for one don't understand why the new Providence on 100 S and 300 E is all restricted income, I hate to be judgmental but unless managment is always on top of things, that place is going to turn into a not so nice building.

I guess it also depends on someones definition of middle income housing. I posed the question on the previous page, What do you define as middle class housing? Are City Creek Landing, Seasons at City Creek, The Brigham middle class, or are those wealthy? Are Palladio and Emmigration Court middle class, or wealthy?

If City Creek Landing and Seasons at CC are considered middle class, then there is obviously a demand for that type of housing, considering the occupancy of those developments was quickly at 100%.

What I consider a shame is buildings, such as the 2nd and 2nd building, with SLC Bicycle on the 1st floor. When it was gutted by fire, LaPorte Group is the one who redeveloped it, and made it 100% income restricted, if I'm not mistaken. If it's not income restricted they are doing a horrible job at managing it because the intercom is broken, and the common areas stink. I have also been in a few other LaPorte buildings downtown and I'm not sure if they are mixed or all restricted but some of them have been fine and other have had horrible upkeep.

With all that said, I hope the % of restricted income on LaPortes State St project is set at the right balance to result in a clean well managed building, that by simply walking in you don't know it's restricted income.

I don't know if it all comes down to management regarding the Cityfront. They also operate the bridges apartments next door. They were originally intended to be condos but they couldn't sale them so they were converted into apartments. Although the 2 developments share the same parking structure... They are a night and day difference. The higher income bridges is nice while the lower income development on n temple is a bit ragged.

I would say that seasons, city creek landing, and emigration court are all in the same range... In fact it seems like seasons had better pricing then emigration court... I'm not sure if emigration offers subsidized rent or not. Seasons and landings do not. I live at seasons and am glad I picked this place over emigration court.. Management is awesome and the locations really is optimal as I have discovered... I defiantly would classify it as middle class... Although most of the apartments on the 1-4 floors are used for student housing.. Which is fine. I actually wish they would convert this building in to condos... As goofy as it looks on the outside its pretty nice inside. I have a front unit with floor to ceiling windows.. I like how I am offset from the main high rise district just enough to give an amazing view of the city... Defiantly better then emigration... Although priced slightly lower.

[ajiuO]

Looks like the new tenants of the Deseret News building are filling in the engraving on top of the building. I wonder if they will stuckoed over the whole top or just paint over the infill.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

Looks like the new tenants of the Deseret News building are filling in the engraving on top of the building. I wonder if they will stuckoed over the whole top or just paint over the infill.

Cool. I was wondering about that--I was working for Deseret News/Salt Lake Tribune (Newspaper Agency Corp) when the Deseret News Building opened, and they were so very proud of how distinctive their building was...the crown of the building was the masthead, the building arranged in columns like a newspaper, etc. Made me sad to see them leave the building behind, but glad it's getting a new use. Hope the new tenants are happy there.

[DCRes]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

It's a D-4 Downtown Secondary zone. Maximum height 75' and up to 120' as a conditional use.

Do you know how tall the Triad Center is? Or the tallest buildings at The Gateway? I ask to get a feel for how tall buildings in that area could be.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by DCRes

Do you know how tall the Triad Center is? Or the tallest buildings at The Gateway? I ask to get a feel for how tall buildings in that area could be.

This is interesting, The Parc at the Gateway is approx 156' tall at 12 stories. The Gateway Zone, as I mentioned yesterday, doesn't have a conditional height in the ordinance.

LDS Business College at Triad Center at 125'

Hyatt Place at Gateway is 99'

KSL Broadcast House 85'

UP Depot 85'

All heights are according to Emporis.com

So if those heights are right, 75' SUCKS for that part of the city. That is a waste of valuable downtown property IMO, again east of 400 W should be zoned D-1.

[blazefirelight]

Hello! I haven't posted for a while, but I browse here and there, and I think that the Building 8 design is boring, and we need something a little more memorable for Salt Lake. Boxes are nice and all, but I'm also a big fan of a design more similar to the Zion Social Hall Center design that we've all seen and pined for. I was thinking maybe something like this?:

[Stenar]

Maybe the Radisson could build a skinny tower (à la Carnegie Hall Tower) next to their current location, to become a convention hotel, or even get Fidelity Investments to move and build all the way over to 300 West.

They could build a direct connection to the Salt Palace behind the hotel to SP.