Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[Orlando]

Thanks for the info, Viperlord. This news is encouraging.

[DCRes]

Originally Posted by Viperlord

After looking at the renderings....It looks to be the westgate office building on 300 west 200 south that they are turning into lofts.

If that's the building I'm thinking it is, it's next door to the east of the Westgate lofts. Essentially expanding that residential development. It's also on the same block as the two new hotels going in south of Energy Solutions Arena. I like it!

[DMTower]

^^^ I work right across the street from the Westgate offices so I should be able to take pictures. I hope their conversion plans include extending the building to 3rd West so that that corner doesn't sit as a parking lot permanently.

[scottharding]

Great news about the new lofts and the Broadway park. Does any know of any updates on that Townhouse development that was also going to be in the Pioneer Park area?

In other news, steel is rising on the State St. housing.

[delts145]

State Street Housing? Are you talking about the LaPorte Project? We need pics Someone...Anyone??

[scottharding]

Yes, the LaPorte development. I'll try and get some pics tomorrow when I'm down there, unless someone beats me to it.

[Comrade]

...



I like what they plan to do to the eastern side of the building. I never did like those office windows.

[Future Mayor]

You saw it the same time I did so feel free to ignore my PM.

I too like the windows on the East side and the elimination of the ugly 80's style windows. I would like to see them do something on the east side of that parking lot, even if it was some simply one story retail, facing 300 W. Maybe put the resident parking under the retail?

[Just A Thought]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I too like the windows on the East side and the elimination of the ugly 80's style windows. I would like to see them do something on the east side of that parking lot, even if it was some simply one story retail, facing 300 W. Maybe put the resident parking under the retail?

I think this awesome news! more residential on 2 and 300 south is essential, but my only concern and as mentioned here by Future Mayor is that we might end up with another empty corner with cars on it. I totally agree that a simple matching one story corner retail outlet would be sufficient, Organic grocery store anyone?

Otherwise you end up with the Broadway Lofts problem, with an empty un-developed lot in front of it that no-one wants to invest in.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by scottharding

Great news about the new lofts and the Broadway park. Does any know of any updates on that Townhouse development that was also going to be in the Pioneer Park area?

In other news, steel is rising on the State St. housing.

Is there a crane onsite yet?

[scottharding]

There isn't a Tower crane, but there is one of those mobile cranes there... Sorry, not sure what their called. Like the one they used to erect the skybridge at CCC.

I think that retail on that parking spot would be a good place for a type of store like was discussed earlier being needed downtown. I like the organic grocery idea, or a pet-store or something like that.

[DMTower]

I think they should bury the parking on that corner below at least one story of retail (such as a pub/diner on the corner, something useful such as hardware or electronics/appliances/petstore on the north end) and then have stairs on the west side that lead to a rooftop patio/garden for the residents.

[slc801]

I read a really interesting article on the trib today all about 6 different laws that democrats are going to propose in legislature to deal with air pollution. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens with these laws and if the horrible air this winter will change any minds up on the hill:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55808947-90/pollution-bills-utah-health.html.csp

"These concepts are being drafted into bills, though none of them has been numbered yet:

1. State agencies must develop plans to reduce activities that cause pollution and account for the smog-cutting changes they’ve already made.

2. UTA would provide free passes in January and July, the smoggiest months.

3. A special funding account would be set up to support mass transit operations and expansion.

4. Utah law would be changed to allow the state to impose more stringent rules and regulations than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

5. Industry would be required to adopt the best available control technology to scrub emissions from industrial stacks.

6. People who buy certain UTA passes would be eligible for individual income tax credits."

While looking for the article above, I came across another which entailed Herbert's proposal to clean the air. I am really disappointed by his complete lack of courage to do anything that may go against special interest groups (gas and mining). I think it is a cop out proposal meant to appease the public which will result in few actual improvements in air quality. In fact, after reading it again, I realized that it is no different that what is already happening in Utah. It is just giving a cute name to already organized attempts to clean the air:

http://www.examiner.com/article/herbert-announces-plan-for-improving-utah-air-quality

[John Martin]

I think this feature is really quite cartoonish. Almost ruins the whole thing.

[farmerboy]

I'm starting to question the design of the new courthouse. Is that really the best design they could come up with? It's basically a glass box.

[jmonkey]

Thanks for all the great pics, John Martin! That was very kind of you.

[jedikermit]

I agree with both comments--that...entry? portico? I don't know the word for it--on the Public Safety building looks very incongruous right now. It may look better after they've clad it or treated it or whatever they're going to do with it, but right now, it looks very out of place on what's otherwise a very sleek and flowing building.

And I'm trying to be optimistic about the court building...I think I'm fine with the glass box, but it doesn't interact with the surroundings at all. It's like it's just been dropped into the midst of everything around it, and with the laws about how close anything can be to a federal installation, I don't know that it will change. It will still get its final cladding of that aluminum grillwork or whatever it is, but I don't see that warming it up at all.

I think they can both still work, but they're not what I was hoping for.

[Orlando]

I have thought the same thing about that covered arcade/whatever thing in front of the the new Public Safety Building. It's clunky and ruins the sweeping curves and clean design of the rest of the building. It looks like there just wasn't enough oversight on the architects side of things or on the city side of things. If it went through the Design Review process similar to here in Portland, that probably would have been redesigned or eliminated.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by farmerboy

I'm starting to question the design of the new courthouse. Is that really the best design they could come up with? It's basically a glass box.

I've thought the same thing regarding the design, too. I think it will look nicer when all said and done, but it makes me a little nervous. It does look too boring. And, what are those things that pop out on top??

Btw, thanks John Martin for the pics.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by slc801

I read a really interesting article on the trib today all about 6 different laws that democrats are going to propose in legislature to deal with air pollution. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens with these laws and if the horrible air this winter will change any minds up on the hill:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55808947-90/pollution-bills-utah-health.html.csp

"These concepts are being drafted into bills, though none of them has been numbered yet:

1. State agencies must develop plans to reduce activities that cause pollution and account for the smog-cutting changes they’ve already made.

2. UTA would provide free passes in January and July, the smoggiest months.

3. A special funding account would be set up to support mass transit operations and expansion.

4. Utah law would be changed to allow the state to impose more stringent rules and regulations than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

5. Industry would be required to adopt the best available control technology to scrub emissions from industrial stacks.

6. People who buy certain UTA passes would be eligible for individual income tax credits."

While looking for the article above, I came across another which entailed Herbert's proposal to clean the air. I am really disappointed by his complete lack of courage to do anything that may go against special interest groups (gas and mining). I think it is a cop out proposal meant to appease the public which will result in few actual improvements in air quality. In fact, after reading it again, I realized that it is no different that what is already happening in Utah. It is just giving a cute name to already organized attempts to clean the air:

http://www.examiner.com/article/herbert-announces-plan-for-improving-utah-air-quality

It's enouraging that someone is taking action. However, this is all band-aid legislation. The problem is much deeper than making mass transit cheaper. It's anti-sprawl legislation that has got to happen. It has got to be laws and incentives that create a change in the lifestyle of the typical Utahn. We can't continue to sprawl out like this with an ever increasing propulation, and expect the pollution and other problems to ease up!!