Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[(Eco)nomy_404]

Originally Posted by Orlando

This led me to check on a statistic that is not necessarily thread specific. So, forgive me on this. But, the population of Utah seems to be on track to overpass 4 states in the next ten years. Currently, Utah is almost 3 million. It should overpass Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, and Iowa in the next ten years to become the 30th most populous state. It's not huge news, but I find it interesting to see how fast Utah's population growth is far outpacing many states. Here's a link that shows a graph of state population increases:
http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore...0&ifdim=country&hl=en_US&dl=en&ind=false

It looks like Utah is approaching "Middle America" as far as population goes. What I find encouraging is not just the increase in population, but an increasingly healthy and diverse economy as well as a job market that is heavily weighted to professional, high-paying skilled jobs.

[(Eco)nomy_404]

Photo provided by Wikipedia Commons

SALT LAKE CITY - The unemployment rate for the state of Utah dropped unexpectedly by 0.4% in September 2012 to settle at a 4-year low of 5.4%, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday. Utah now ranks well within the 10 states with the lowest unemployment rates in the country, where only 5 other states boast lower rates. North Dakota continued to lead the nation with a lean 3% rate in September while Nebraska (3.9%), South Dakota (4.4%), Iowa (5.2%), and Oklahoma (5.2%) logged rates lower than Utah`s 5.4%. Utah followed the national trend of improving economic conditions as the national unemployment rate also dropped to a 4-year low of 7.8% after tumbling considerably in September by 0.3%.

Utah`s labor market, however, is trending much more positively than the nation`s as a whole. The unemployment rate is falling for much healthier economic reasons in Utah. While many people continued to drop out of the national workforce, Utah`s labor force continued to expand as 8,025 more people found work across the state while 5,648 fewer people found themselves without jobs in September. Though still short 56,313 jobs from Utah`s pre-recession employment peak in 2008 - and with an unemployment rate still almost double the record-low of 2.4% set in 2007 - the state`s job market is well on the mend from the Great Recession.

Article by (Eco)nomy_404
Statistics retrieved from BLS - Utah Economy at a Glance:
http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ut.htm

For a State-by-State comparison, check out this map from CNN Money:
http://money.cnn.com/interactive/economy/state-unemployment-rates/?iid=EL

[delts145]

Photo Bump



Pics By CountyLemonade @
http://www.flickr.com/photos/countylemonade/6773440606/in/photostream/

[SLC Projects]

Just thinking what the UPAC Tower will look like from this view. It should fill in the space between gateway west and 99 west towers.

[SLCdude]

Originally Posted by (Eco)nomy_404

SALT LAKE CITY - The unemployment rate for the state of Utah dropped unexpectedly by 0.4% in September 2012

I AM THE 0.4%

That's right, I'm employed now.

[delts145]

^^^ Congrats...


Millcreek residents divided over incorporation -
Election » Push to incorporate is creating friction in township.


By Mike Gorrell, The Salt Lake Tribune

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55100984-90/millcreek-community-incorporation-county.html.csp

In neighborhoods across Millcreek Township, it’s not uncommon to see pro- and anti-incorporation signs on the same streets, sometimes next door to one another.

That’s indicative of the divisive nature of this issue, which will be on the Nov. 6 ballot for residents of the eastcentral Salt Lake Valley community of 63,500 people...

...Perhaps that is because many pertinent factors in the Millcreek incorporation proposal are so middle of the road, much like the community itself, that it is not clear that becoming a city would be good or that maintaining the status quo would be better...

...a 2011 incorporation feasibility study underwritten by Salt Lake County concluded Millcreek city was doable, with a budget that delivers a comparable level of municipal services for the same amount of money, although expenses are likely to increase slightly faster than revenues over time.

But because the figures are so close, both sides believe a closer scrutiny of the numbers validates their positions on incorporation...

... to incorporation opponent Roger Dudley, an East Millcreek resident for 25 years, a more relevant number in the study is the projection that city revenues would increase 1.8 percent annually while expenses go up 2.2 percent.

Even if Millcreek city would break even in its first year, he said, its annual operating deficit would grow quickly to anywhere from $2 million to $12 million...




.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by StevenF

Are you able to tell us some of the ideas for the development, like how tall you want to go, retail, will it be residential or commercial?

I am considering a stepped down look, one portion will be between 5-7 and the other portion will be 3-5.

[goldcntry]

Woot! ^^^
Taylorsville is the most dense... now if only we had buildings taller than 4 storeys...
maybe a real city center...

[DCRes]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Just thinking what the UPAC Tower will look like from this view. It should fill in the space between gateway west and 99 west towers.

From this angle, which is by far the most common angle to take skyline shots, do think that 99 West would completely block the Cascade when it is built?

[Makid]

Originally Posted by goldcntry

Woot! ^^^
Taylorsville is the most dense... now if only we had buildings taller than 4 storeys...
maybe a real city center...

Try this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kearns,_Utah
Population (2010)
• Total 35,731
• Density 6,994.1/sq mi (2,700.4/km2)

I think Kearns is the highest density municipality/town/city in the state. But is is out of room to grow and I doubt there will be any more apartments built in the area. That means other areas have a chance to catch up.

[Makid]

Originally Posted by DCRes

From this angle, which is by far the most common angle to take skyline shots, do think that 99 West would completely block the Cascade when it is built?

It would be visible and would be just to the right of 99W. The UPAC tower would appear to be slightly behind and to the right of The Cascade.

[UTPlanner]

I noticed this on the City Council Agenda for tomorrow night, thought it may interest people:

5. G, G & D Woodruff LLC Housing Trust Fund Loan Written Briefing Only
The Council will receive a written briefing regarding a request by G, G & D Woodruff LLC for a $500,000 Housing Trust Fund Loan at 3% simple interest per annum. The 30-year loan would be used to construct the Brunswick Place Apartment Building at 245 South 200 East. The seven-story project would consist of 132 residential units – 127 of which would be affordable rental housing units for residents who earn 75 percent or less of the City’s area median income.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

I noticed this on the City Council Agenda for tomorrow night, thought it may interest people:

5. G, G & D Woodruff LLC Housing Trust Fund Loan Written Briefing Only
The Council will receive a written briefing regarding a request by G, G & D Woodruff LLC for a $500,000 Housing Trust Fund Loan at 3% simple interest per annum. The 30-year loan would be used to construct the Brunswick Place Apartment Building at 245 South 200 East. The seven-story project would consist of 132 residential units – 127 of which would be affordable rental housing units for residents who earn 75 percent or less of the City’s area median income.

75% or less, that is way up from the normal affordable housing units. I like that the restriction level is being raised, it will allow for more young professionals to live downtown. I do think that 95% of the units being affordable is still a little high, but at 75% income I won't complain about it to much. What is that current City median income?

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by Makid

Try this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kearns,_Utah
Population (2010)
• Total 35,731
• Density 6,994.1/sq mi (2,700.4/km2)

I think Kearns is the highest density municipality/town/city in the state. But is is out of room to grow and I doubt there will be any more apartments built in the area. That means other areas have a chance to catch up.

This is why density figures are misleading. Kearns is mostly sprawl and hardly dense. Salt Lake City's residential neighborhoods are far more denser, but the problem is that a huge portion of the city's boundaries incorporate part of the mountains to the east and a gigantic uninhabitable area on the west-side of the city.

Kearns and other Salt Lake suburban area score far higher than the city itself because they're generally located in areas where their boundaries are almost entirely developed and that development is rather suburban in nature.

Just check the walking score for all the communities.

Kearns (using the 84118 zip), gets a 46 walking score. My neighborhood, which isn't even all that urban (compared to a great deal of the city - I live on the south-eastern area of SugarHouse) is a 66 walking score (84106).

To further expand, here's the density of each of those zip codes:

Kearns: 3,329
SugarHouse: 5,603

It's so frustrating because this number is used a lot to suggest Salt Lake is a suburban sprawling city compared to other cities in its region (Denver, Boise, even Phoenix). But in reality, the city's numbers are skewed greatly by the fact most of the city limits incorporate unused land.

Remember, the city limits go all the way up to Grandview Peak to the east and the end of the valley to the west.



Sorry, just had to vent there!

[Makid]

No worry Comrade, I feel the same way. I live in Kearns, that is why I brought it up. It is a suburb and nothing more. Density as used in the article is very misleading and deceptive at best.

I just find it funny that the article in the Tribune used actual city size to measure density of each of the listed cities. My understanding is that Salt Lake City is only able to use about 45% of the actual area of the city. The others in the article are able to and in some cases already do use between 90% and 100% of the city boundaries.

[DMTower]

For those interested, tomorrow there is a: Walkable Salt Lake Mobile Workshop with Salt Lake City Planning Division on Regent Street at 5:00 pm

[UTPlanner]

I also noticed that this is is also on the SLC Council Agenda:

4. Ordinance: Central Community Master Plan and Zoning Map Amendments, Strategic Capital Group
Accept public comment and consider adopting an ordinance that would amend the Future Land Use Map of the Central Community Master Plan and amend the zoning map in relation to property located at 538 East 500 South Street. The proposal would modify the Central Community Future Land Use Map from Medium Density Residential to Residential Office Mixed Use. The proposal would also change the zoning on one parcel located at 538 East 500 South from an RMF-35 Moderate Density Multi-Family Residential District to an RO Residential Office District. The changes would facilitate combining four parcels on 500 South between 500 East and 600 East for a future multi-family residential development under one consistent zoning classification.
Related provisions of Title 21A – Zoning, may also be amended as part of this petition. Petitioner – Strategic Capital Group; Petition Nos. PLNPCM2012-00305 and PLNPCM2012-00359.

The bolded section is the key element. This property is located directly south of the Smiths Marketplace on 500 South. The developers are highly motivated to get permits, as impact fees in the city will increase at the end of the year.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by Makid

No worry Comrade, I feel the same way. I live in Kearns, that is why I brought it up. It is a suburb and nothing more.

Me too. And this 5400 South reconstruction is going to be the end of me.

[Makid]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

Me too. And this 5400 South reconstruction is going to be the end of me.

I know what you mean. It is crazy. At least they are adding safety features and some better lighting. I also like the wider sidewalks.

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by goldcntry

Woot! ^^^
Taylorsville is the most dense... now if only we had buildings taller than 4 storeys...
maybe a real city center...

I have an idea on what I would like the 5400 South to 5800 South and Redwood Road to 1900 West should look like. It would be a lot more dense and crate a downtown for Taylorsville. First Taylorsville needs to rezone the hole area for 3+ story developments and then put in new streets running east west. My idea would be to break the Harmons block into 3 blocks. The roads would be, 5470 and 5540 South. After the changes to that block I would love to see Harmons rebuild like they have for the Downtown store and have some 3-5 levels of residential above it. Then the Block with Shopko I would do something similar with 5670 and 5740. Also realign 1900 West so it was straight and didn't curve to the west giving more space to redevelop the shops on the west side of 1900 west. That area off 1900 West was badly designed and I knew way back when they first went in that one they looked cheap and 2 there small footprint and the location in the back would not work. I was right as they have stayed relativity empty since completion.

I will copy and past this into the MSA thread and we can continue this discussion there.

Originally Posted by SLCdude

I AM THE 0.4%

That's right, I'm employed now.

Grats!!!

And I too just started a job today and seems October could show a good negative unemployment change.