Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by stayinginformed

Did anyone else notice the sneak peek of the Main Street facade of the performing arts center in this video (pause at 1:09), and that the planned business tower will use part of the air rights over the UPAC. It also seems that they are planning another mid block walkway south of the Tribune building from the plan at about 0:19.

• Video Link

I wonder if my massing model schemes that I showed on here had any influence of the straddling concept. I did send them to the input site and to council members on the Salt Lake Council. I did try to send them to Hamilton Partners as well. The benefit of the straddling concept is that the tower can be taller because the occupiable floors will be above the UPAC mass. It will give much more significance to that site by a more prominent tower. It also enable the UPAC to have more space flexibility horizontally without having to compromise on the zie of the atrium or theater. It also ensures that the SL Trib building will be saved. I bet my scheme did have an impace on the design! The last scheme that we saw showed the office building next to the theater. Anyways, thanks for posting the video. That gave us a sneak peak at the facade design on Main Street. I likes very much!




The next images show it in comparison to the Wells Fargo Tower






Here is the layout of the lobby/theater/office.


Here are the images I posted previously showing an example of a new contemporary hotel in NYC straddling over the High Line elevated park.

[scottharding]

Orlando, how tall is the tower in your rendering? It looks like it would be more than 500 ft. Yes?

[SLC Projects]

Looking again at the model of the PAC and kind of see the tower that a part of it does indeed goes over the top of the theater and seeing Orlando's idea this tower could be taller then I first thought.
Ok so the PAC is four levels that is about the same level as the 8th floor of the Tribune building then I'm guessing if the lobby levels are about the same for the tower then the PAC tower's 5th floor could be about the same level as Tribune's 9th floor then maybe what Orlando saying all this time that the PAC tower could be a new tallest. Still a bit unsure since the Tower could only be 21- floors, however if the base levels are high then this be at least 400 FT, if not taller. Have a feeling it's going to be close.

[StevenF]

We need to get a 900-1000' building built downtown and then have a restaurant or a club on top of it and call it the Mile High Club.

[tygr]

I know it's an early rendering, but I was hoping for a more fluid, organic exterior design that would have more of a flowing shape to it.

I wish this project could be unique in design. Something that would stand out architecturally with sweeping curves, unique angles, shapes, etc.; not just boxes next to more boxes, built around and/or replacing existing boxes.

I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, but this first glimpse drops my hopes of having a unique architectural piece with this project.

[scottharding]

Well, the infamous Zion Curtain will remain a Utah staple for all to laugh at or be confused by. We must thank our awesome Senators who are always fighting to keep our freedoms int tact.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by scottharding

Well, the infamous Zion Curtain will remain a Utah staple for all to laugh at or be confused by. We must thank our awesome Senators who are always fighting to keep our freedoms int tact.

I kind of went off on Facebook this morning about that. Not just the Zion Curtain, but the Legislature in general. I've made it nearly forty years without starting drinking, but their annual uh..."clusterfetch" pushes me a little closer each time.

[scottharding]

I think I'd enjoy reading that. haha
Thankfully, you're not further tempted by seeing drinks being made when you go out to eat. I really hope the Convention Center Hotel gets through these clowns in suits...

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by scottharding

I think I'd enjoy reading that. haha
Thankfully, you're not further tempted by seeing drinks being made when you go out to eat. I really hope the Convention Center Hotel gets through these clowns in suits...

1) I'm most interested in/concerned about the Convention Center Hotel, and then I logged in and saw all of the stuff that the Legislature had been doing. So then I posted:

2) I was having such a good day. And then the Utah Legislature decided to be themselves. I love Utah. I love it. I really do. And I believe that most people are fundamentally good. But how does simultaneously promoting 🞵🞵🞵 ownership, hating people who are different from you, and hiding the evils of alcohol in back rooms help us? Whether "us" is families, or the economy, or the LDS Church, I think this year's legislative session is a huge step backwards. Again.


...I generally steer away from political discussion, because I don't think it changes minds as much as it hardens both sides against the center, which is unfortunate. Was just frustrated. I'll probably go back and delete the Facebook post and subsequent conversation/bashing that's currently happening there later tonight. Much safer for me to stick to Muppets and LEGO and Star Wars.

[SLC Projects]

I too agree that we seem to be moving backwards as well as a state, but can we try to get back to talking about the PAC and the Tower that could be among the tallest here.

[jedikermit]

No, I agree with you, Lee. I probably shouldn't have posted that here, either.

I do think that sometimes our political obstacles in the Legislature lead to either real or perceived barriers to development that have economic consequences. If things like the Zion Curtain laws send a message that Utah is a Dry State, or that you can't get a drink in SLC (perceptions that are out there but are false), and that makes it so that conventions don't want to book in SLC, or corporate headquarters don't want to move here and build towers, that's a problem.

If the perception of the community is that we're closed-minded provincials who don't want diversity in our city/state (whether that's religion, race, LGBT, environmentalists, etc.), that can be fatal for people who would potentially come here as tourists, as conventioneers, as residents. Putting "The World is Welcome Here" on a big banner doesn't say nearly as much as what the feeling is for people when they actually come here. And all it takes is our neighbors in Colorado emphasizing those things in their convention pitches to make conventions choose Denver over us.

Our economy is doing okay, really, compared with other states. There are great things happening in Ogden, in Northern Utah County, in some pockets in Salt Lake City. But things like the current Legislative session make other states look more appealing for a lot of folks.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

I peeked into the Tribune Building the other day when I was out at lunch. They had left the front door open. Construction is definitely moving forward. The walls were all framed up and there was lots of electrical and HVAC work going on.

Thanks for answering my inquiry UTPlanner. I'm very glad to see this particular reuse as a college moving forward, particularly for this great old building.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by delts145

Thanks for answering my inquiry UTPlanner. I'm very glad to see this particular reuse as a college moving forward, particularly for this great old building.

The Neumont University website lists their Downtown SLC Housing rates as being available May 1st. I'm assuming if the rates are available May 1, they'll be open for the fall semester starting in August?

I'm glad they're reusing the Tribune Building too--I really hope there's some kind of open house when they get closer to opening; it'd be great to see what they've done with the building.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by scottharding

Well, the infamous Zion Curtain will remain a Utah staple for all to laugh at or be confused by. We must thank our awesome Senators who are always fighting to keep our freedoms int tact.

It's hilarious considering just last week it looked like we were finally seeing progress. It's pretty clear the Utah legislature is not going to move on anything alcohol related. It's just not going to happen. Every year we get our hopes up for some massive overhaul of the laws and it never happens. It's not going to happen.

This is the reality of living in a state where non-drinkers get to write the drinking laws. We really are the town in Footloose - which, fittingly, was filmed here.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

This is the reality of living in a state where non-drinkers get to write the drinking laws. We really are the town in Footloose - which, fittingly, was filmed here.

It's a good thing we don't want to dance.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

It's hilarious considering just last week it looked like we were finally seeing progress. It's pretty clear the Utah legislature is not going to move on anything alcohol related. It's just not going to happen. Every year we get our hopes up for some massive overhaul of the laws and it never happens. It's not going to happen.

Not that I would ever, particularly this year, defend the idiot on the hill, but part of the final alcohol related legislation included allowing restaurants to have one master license for all their locations rather than one for every single one. This will free up more licenses for restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings to open more locations, but the Zion Curtain will still require them to alter their standard building plans. However it will continue to keep places like Dave and Busters out of Utah, and deter Jupiter Bowl in Kimball junction from opening a downtown SLC location.

[Future Mayor]

It was mentioned on the SL MSA Thread about Rio Tinto, and how it's a fantastic stadium, in a horrible location. It was brought up though that had we never found a spot for it, our chances in the future of having an NFL or MLB team could be hurt, due to the perception that we turned down MLS and couldn't work out a deal on a stadium, etc.

I always felt that the Grainary District would be the best place for a stadium. I think I've developed some ideas in the past but this is the one I came up with today.

I didn't include how the entire area would develop, I simply included trax expansion, pointed out a few of the newer residential along with a proposed one, and threw in a farmer market building. I would like to see some of the gritty character of the area remain, like some of the old houses, some of the old retail along with some of the old brick warehouses.

This is Safeco field in Seattle at the same scale as the SLC map.

[Comrade]

It seems they can't walk and chew gum at the same time. There are so many dumb laws on the books when it comes to alcohol that at this rate, I'm going to be 70 by the time they're all overturned.

[Comrade]

[John Martin]

The legislative session is like the inversions. It comes every year and it 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 every year... so why does it continue to be such a big story?