Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[Lilljemalm]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

My big problem is that so many liquor laws in other states are on a county-by-county or municipal-by-municipal level, which makes it much easier to change. Ours aren't, though. Salt Lake County or Salt Lake City has little say in their liquor laws - it's all at the state and that makes it far more challenging to change.

It's the same in Texas and other southern states. It's almost always left to the discretion of the city/county. That type of approach is so much more progressive than here in Utah because it does allow for progress ... while also preserving the uniqueness of other counties - like I would not expect Utah County, or Provo, to liberalize its liquor laws. But Salt Lake City, the largest city in the state, is beholden to the exact same liquor laws of a small town in Millard County.

You have a good idea. Maybe some discussion with your legislator and county commisioners would be good. I can understand SL, Summit, Davis and Weber being allowed to be more liberal with their alcohol regulations than small out of the way counties to allow for tourist and conventioneers. Because government bureaucracies fight change, maybe a splitting the regulating between states and counties?

We need to get back to buidling skyscapers.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by Lilljemalm

We need to get back to buidling skyscapers.

Skyscrapers?!?

I think we burned through our set number for the decade already.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Skyscrapers?!?

I think we burned through our set number for the decade already.

At some point SLC needs to be better then only three new skyscraper per decade. Kind of like what we saw in the 80's.

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

At some point SLC needs to be better then only three new skyscraper per decade. Kind of like what we saw in the 80's.

Just think of all the square footage that was built off 6200 S by Wasatch Blvd in the past 15 years. If you add up all the floors on all the buildings there you could have 4 20 story building or 2 35+ stories ones. There is also still land there for 2 more buildings and I believe its a 6 and 4 story with some parking.

Problem is a lot of developers are still building in open land in the suburbs with 3-6 floor buildings. Now that the developer that owns the land around EBay wants to build more offices there I can see that keeping a lot of square footage out of downtown. I think once most of the excess land down the middle off I-15 and I-215 is gone we could see more push into downtown Salt Lake City.

[slc801]

One problem with moving the alcohol discussion to the other section, the other section (the Utah Politics posts) has been locked for several months now. Its about time to open it back up.

As far as Utah's liquor laws go, I think that they are a little wacky and extremely hypocritical, especially coming from a legislature that promotes free enterprise and screams over any type of federal oversight. That being said, I don't think that the liquor laws are going to change in one legislative session. However, I have been EXTREMELY impressed by the progress done this legislative session towards loosening the liquor laws (although there is still a very long way to go). Every bill loosening the laws seems to be advancing and every one tightening them seems to have been defeated.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55930069-90/utah-tax-taxes-cents.html.csp

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86557...Utah-restaurants-that-serve-alcohol.html

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55930228-90/bill-alcoholic-beer-gallons.html.csp

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54...ll-lawmakers-legislature.html.csp?page=2

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55897637-90/licenses-allow-utah-permits.html.csp

Also, something that may be a sign of whats to come:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55177420-79/liquor-percent-gallons-utah.html.csp

[Orlando]

Way to swing to another off topic rant Projects.

Okay. So, let's please get these off-topic comments on to another thread.

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by slc801

One problem with moving the alcohol discussion to the other section, the other section (the Utah Politics posts) has been locked for several months now. Its about time to open it back up.

As far as Utah's liquor laws go, I think that they are a little wacky and extremely hypocritical, especially coming from a legislature that promotes free enterprise and screams over any type of federal oversight. That being said, I don't think that the liquor laws are going to change in one legislative session. However, I have been EXTREMELY impressed by the progress done this legislative session towards loosening the liquor laws (although there is still a very long way to go). Every bill loosening the laws seems to be advancing and every one tightening them seems to have been defeated.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55930069-90/utah-tax-taxes-cents.html.csp

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86557...Utah-restaurants-that-serve-alcohol.html

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55930228-90/bill-alcoholic-beer-gallons.html.csp

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54...ll-lawmakers-legislature.html.csp?page=2

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55897637-90/licenses-allow-utah-permits.html.csp

Also, something that may be a sign of whats to come:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55177420-79/liquor-percent-gallons-utah.html.csp

Sorry to continue the off-topic debate, but this is all very good news.

Now we just need to get rid of the 3.2% limit, allow the sale of liquor in grocery stores, and push last call back an hour!

Hah, in my dreams.

[Reachforthesky]

FIRST AIRPORT LIGHT RAIL LINE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST OPENS IN SLC NEXT MONTH! WOOO!

[SLC Projects]

Nevermind.

[Comrade]

My long-winded rant was removed. So...

[Just A Thought]

Is it just me or is this missing a couple of things?

[ctobsl]

.

[delts145]

Can someone tell me what the latest news is on the old Denver & Rio Grande Engine Shop? Hopefully, still standing and slated for restoration?


www.utahheritagefoundation.com

[asies1981]

Originally Posted by Just A Thought

Is it just me or is this missing a couple of things?

Seeing pictures like that remind me how important mid rise buildings are to a city. Salt Lake needs a lot more mid rises before it gets its next high rise. A 40 story building can't save a downtown but four 10 story buildings being built over those large parking lots that blight downtown, can do more for Salt Lake than any 40 story building. (btw I do advocate for some taller buildings but after Salt Lake adds more density downtown). I live in Center City Philadelphia now and there are over 240,000 people living within 2 miles of City Hall. Yes Philly has some very tall buildings, but its the plethora of mid rises that help bring energy to the downtown.

[Comrade]

Yes. My view on downtown has shifted a great deal over the years. When I was younger, when I first started posting on this forum, I just wanted tall towers. Now, though, I'm content with just building density because that's a big thing Salt Lake lacks - especially on the southern and western edge of downtown.

I've said as much in this thread already. We're getting residential development, but often it's very minimal and hardly memorable. I'd love to see a cluster of 10 to 15 story apartments on that block. Imagine something like this:

[delts145]

I like that a lot Comrade. I especially like the diagonal cut. We have to make more of these types of allowances in Salt Lake's CBD, for it to truely develop it's unique potential. Also, I've always wondered about that particular block, and what it would be like to have Market Street continue westward, right on through it.

I would be curious to know how many land owners there are for that particular block.

[slc801]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55947442-90/hotel-million-salt-lake.html.csp

A really interesting showdown is going down in the legislature right now about the convention center hotel. A legislator from Draper is proposing a bill that from what I can tell would help finance a significant portion of the convention center hotel. It is going to be discussed tomorrow in committee. This is in contrast to a bill already put forward by Valentine from Orem (I shiver whenever I hear his name) which prevents public funds from supporting a convention center hotel. That bill passed committee and is now up to the senate to decide. It will be interesting to see which, if either bill passes. Hopefully it is the guy from Draper's bill. His bill makes me a little hopeful since a Republican from Draper would be one of the last people I would think would propose funding the convention center hotel.

[Orlando]

Here's a bitter-sweet comparison photo. Sweet, as in, at least the pollution in SLC isn't as bad as it is in Mumbai. Bitter, as in, I wish SLC had that many highrises under construction.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by Orlando

[Makid]

Some good news on the Downtown market:

Venafi moves software operations to downtown Salt Lake

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55946306-79/lake-salt-downtown-software.html.csp

Venafi, a Sandy-based company that develops software to manage encryption keys, is moving its headquarters to downtown Salt Lake City.

The company signed a seven-year lease to move into a 37,000-square-foot office space inside the City Centre Building at 175 E. 400 South, according to Cushman & Wakefield | Commerce, which negotiated the deal.

A loss for Sandy but a good gain for SLC. This will help reduce the available space downtown.

I do think it is good to hear about companies that are moving from the burbs to downtown. Hopefully we will hear about more moves in the near future.