Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[UTPlanner]

Comrade, I think you're right. Past leaders and residents of the city saw what they thought was a problem and may have overreacted in their decision. It was quite a substantial downzone. I think the pendelum has now started swinging back in the former direction. Evident in the most recent zoning changes along 400 South and North Temple at the TRAX stations. The current Mayor and Council definitely want to see more density in the city in the right places for such density.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I'm not following your numbers ajiuO

I can go with the image in on page 26 having about 21 guest rooms per floor, based on the 45 the L shaped version had and the other image is probably half the size per floor, but here is how I would figure the rest.

The hotel needs to be between 800 - 1000 rooms, so at 21 rooms per floor to equal 950 rooms that gives us 45 floors. Add in 50 suites, if suites are twice the size of a standard room, that would allow for approx 10 suite per floor adding another 5 floors, that puts us at 50 stories. Add in the 4 floors for lobby and meeting space and we're at 54 stories. At an average height of 16.5' per floor were nearing the 900' mark at 891', more than twice as tall as the Wells Fargo tower.

That height results in the 3rd tallest tower in the West, behind LA at 1018' and Seattle at 937'.
While I would love to eventually see a tower that size in SLC, I think that height at this time would stick out like a sore thumb.

On the example floor plan shown I counted 45 standard room not 21. 950/45=21.1

Where are you getting 21 rooms per floor? Maybe I'm missing something! I hope I am because I would love a 50 story building.

[SLC Projects]

I don't think we will get a 50-story hotel, heck I don't even think we are going to land a 40-story hotel. I think with the long history of us failing to get anything over 30-stories/430FT we will be lucky to get something within 30-35 floors at OVER 400FT.

[SLC Projects]

Here is a link of a copy to yesterday's Mayor Ralph Becker, 2013 State of the City Address

http://www.slcgov.com/mayor-ralph-becker-2013-state-city-address-video-links

One of the things that stood out is that the Mayor will be unveiling the PAC design next month.

[SLC Projects]

Sorry for posting again, but with all the talk of the new CCC as well as the PAC Tower, SLC could have two potential new tallest by 2016.

PAC Tower Floors: 25-stories Height: Unknown.
CC Hotel Floors : Unknown Height: Unknown.

My guess,

PAC Tower:
2016
25-stories
Upper 300's FT to lower 400's FT as the city's third tallest.

CC Hotel:
2016
30-35 stories
Mid 400's to upper 400's FT as a new tallest.

Cool thing about this is that we very well likely could see TWO new skyscrapers under construction and come online around the same time.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

On the example floor plan shown I counted 45 standard room not 21. 950/45=21.1

Where are you getting 21 rooms per floor? Maybe I'm missing something! I hope I am because I would love a 50 story building.

I totally mis-read your post, rather than 21 floors I read 21 room per floor. oops

[Future Mayor]

After some additional thought on the former Questar, Bar X block, I came up with some ideas. I think a does a great job of breaking up that block, the new N/S street will enhance the mid block pedestrian corridor from 150 S all the way to the City and County Building. The placement of the two new office buildings will also help fill in a few gaps due to most towers being on corners.

Aqua - new two way streets
Yellow - new one way street, alley or pedestrian access.
Deep Red - new office, including the proposed Boyer on the SE corner of 200 E and 100 S
Dark Blue - highrise residential
Green - open Space
Purple - 1-3 story retail, possibly residential above
Red - Bar X

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

After some additional thought on the former Questar, Bar X block, I came up with some ideas. I think a does a great job of breaking up that block, the new N/S street will enhance the mid block pedestrian corridor from 150 S all the way to the City and County Building. The placement of the two new office buildings will also help fill in a few gaps due to most towers being on corners.

Aqua - new two way streets
Yellow - new one way street, alley or pedestrian access.
Deep Red - new office, including the proposed Boyer on the SE corner of 200 E and 100 S
Dark Blue - highrise residential
Green - open Space
Purple - 1-3 story retail, possibly residential above
Red - Bar X

I like your idea Future Mayor and I'm not really sure what Boyer's long term plans are for the site is but I kind of hope it's not going to be a bunch more low rise office buildings. For a few reasons, 1. Adding more low rise office buildings will take the demand away from our potential future highrise office towers such as PAC Tower and Tower 8. 2. For the open areas I would like to see either more housing units ( at least 7 stories ) or if office buildings lets built something taller then 7-stories. We have enough 6-story office buildings from the Boyer company from around the gateway area. Infact the only true office building Boyer develop would be the "One Utah Center" ( Chase Tower ) from the early 90's.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

... When an actually skyscraper is built a lot of thought is usually put in to it... It will blend a lot better then people's wishful thinking :-)

I don't think a lot of thought is put into most skyscrapers or most buildings that are built. A developer finds an empty lot and builds some ugly monstrosity.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Well I'm not expecting Salt Lake to look like this anytime soon:


Tehran, Iran

But ten or so additional 10-20 story residential towers placed throughout the city would be tolerable, I think.

If you look closely, 95% of the buildings in that photo are under 10 stories and most are only 5-6 stories.

[Comrade]

Well my eyes aren't very good, so, I can't say for sure 95% of those buildings are under 10 stories ... especially the area toward the mountains.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Stenar

I don't think a lot of thought is put into most skyscrapers or most buildings that are built. A developer finds an empty lot and builds some ugly monstrosity.

Yeah, like our 5 newest towers. UGLY MONSTROSITIES!

[ajiuO]

^^^ I hope your being sarcastic.

[Orlando]

oops.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

^^^ I hope your being sarcastic.

He is. One thing that's kind of sad is that our five newest dates all the way back to 1991. I hope these next 20 years we will see more then only five skyscrapers.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

Yeah, like our 5 newest towers. UGLY MONSTROSITIES!

Umm, fyi, the Grand America Hotel was finished after the Wells Fargo tower.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Umm, fyi, the Grand America Hotel was finished after the Wells Fargo tower.

Yeah I realized that after I posted the comment that the UGLY MONSTROSITY that is the Grand America was indeed built after two of those.

So to update; our last six UGLY MONSTROSITIES.

[DMTower]

^^^ I think he's referring to most of our low density infill. If that's the case then I agree. Most of it is cheap, suburban style crap.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

Yeah I realized that after I posted the comment that the UGLY MONSTROSITY that is the Grand America was indeed built after two of those.

So to update; our last six UGLY MONSTROSITIES.

Just thought of another tower. Gateway West Tower 1998. ( around the same time as the Wells Fargo Tower. )

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Well my eyes aren't very good, so, I can't say for sure 95% of those buildings are under 10 stories ... especially the area toward the mountains.

Zoom in on the photo. I don't know how you do that on a PC, but on a Mac it's easy.