Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[EPdesign]

Does anyone have any updates on the properties East and West of the Downtown Harmon's?

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by EPdesign

Does anyone have any updates on the properties East and West of the Downtown Harmon's?

No new news, that I'm aware of, has come across regarding those parcels.

[SLC Projects]

My understanding was that the developers for tower 8 had to get in line behind 111 south main's development and wait their turn. It was some kind of agreement.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

My understanding was that the developers for tower 8 had to get in line behind 111 south main's development and wait their turn. It was some kind of agreement.

Hopefully by the time it's their turn they will come up with a different design. The proposed design that was posted on here, (somewhere) was very unappealing, IMO.

[Tymtw12]

Another small note..the art gallery in the Walker Center retail space has closed up shop.

[H4vok]

The 'Air Center' has a website up:

http://airslc.info

[delts145]

No one has posted on here since Friday, so I'm looking for any kind of bump. Of course, this is historical news and Salt Lake City proper(i.e. Sugar House), so I'll stick the headline and pics here. Also, posted on the Transportation Thread.


Sugar House streetcar testing underway


Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News


By Jasen Lee, Deseret News

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865588774/Sugar-House-streetcar-testing-underway.html

...Planning for the Sugar House streetcar began in 2006, and construction on the line started in April 2012. Development of the $55.5 million project was a joint partnership between Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake and UTA.

What distinguishes the streetcar line from UTA’s TRAX light-rail lines is that most streetcars operate in a vehicle travel lane near the sidewalk, while light-rail lines typically operate in a dedicated guideway in the middle of a street.

The streetcar’s slower speeds and frequent stops generate pedestrian traffic and encourage support of retail businesses, UTA officials said.

The S-Line, as it's being called, runs in a historic rail corridor that will feature seven stations along the route.

“The S-Line name refers to the place as a whole,” Bowman said. “In other words, it’s the streetcar line itself, as well as the adjacent greenway space (that) is designed to reflect the region’s industrial history.”...

The Sugar House streetcar takes a test run Friday, Oct. 18, 2013, in Salt Lake City. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)






.

[brankrom]

Originally Posted by delts145

No one has posted on here since Friday, so I'm looking for any kind of bump. Of course, this is historical news and Salt Lake City proper(i.e. Sugar House), so I'll stick the headline and pics here. Also, posted on the Transportation Thread.


Sugar House streetcar testing underway







.

I hope they get going on the trail, park (and business residential) improvements soon. That train is running through an ugly dusty urban wasteland for now.

[UTPlanner]

I don't think that there is any agreement between developers that is keeping them from constructing Tower 8 west of Harmons. I think that they realize that 111 S. Main is much further along in the design and approval process and the SLC market is a little small to absorb that much office space and an additional building. Speaking of 111 S. Main, I was talking with a friend that works at Goldman Sachs over the weekend. He mentioned that his office was moving downtown to 111 S. Main in 2016. Currently he is still in Research Park with quite a few other employees. He thought that they would keep their offices in 222 S. Main and just move other employees into the new building.

[Future Mayor]

deleted to to irrelevance.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

I don't think that there is any agreement between developers that is keeping them from constructing Tower 8 west of Harmons. I think that they realize that 111 S. Main is much further along in the design and approval process and the SLC market is a little small to absorb that much office space and an additional building. Speaking of 111 S. Main, I was talking with a friend that works at Goldman Sachs over the weekend. He mentioned that his office was moving downtown to 111 S. Main in 2016. Currently he is still in Research Park with quite a few other employees. He thought that they would keep their offices in 222 S. Main and just move other employees into the new building.

Well, the LDS church did give away or sold the property for the UPAC and 111 for cheap. And, the LDS church owns the Tower 8 site. So, I think that it is quite a safe assumption that there is some sort of understanding between Hamilton and the LDS church. If the church was so willing to help the city make a deal that would help them build on that site, it wouldn't make sense that the church would want to compete to build tower 8 first. We already know that there isn't enough demand to build two large office towers at once in SLC. So, 111 goes first, and then tower 8 to follow. I expect that we will see Tower 8 before the end of the decade.

[SLC Projects]

111 south main tower 2016
Tower 8 2019?

[ToysNoiz]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

111 south main tower 2016
Tower 8 2019?

Well, considering how long it usually takes to get stuff done around here, 2019 sounds right.

[delts145]

Really, what Salt Lake City needs is a very deep pocketed benefactor, (multi-billionaire) who is also a skyscaper geek. A geek for skyscapers in the same way that Larry Miller was a geek for The Jazz, but with deeper pockets. Someone who can afford to build towers that are perhaps a little ahead of the curb of demand. Certain individuals, who can afford to invest long term and cut special deals up front, in order to fill them and get the high rise ball rolling downtown so to speak.

Really though, as a whole the Wasatch Metro is showing incredible growth, expansion and demand. We just need someone who has the means to translate that demand with generous incentives to locate Downtown vs. the Burbs.

Thankfully, we have seen the LDS Church do this on many diverse projects such as CCC, UPAC, and most recently the DA's offices. Also, foundations such as Eccles and Tanner have come forward on many curb appeal and restoration projects, which in certain blocks have made SLC's CBD among the prettiest anywhere in the U.S. To a lesser degree, there have been hundreds of wealthy individuals that have transplanted themselves from the East Coast, because of their love of Utah Skiing. Among other things, they have given the Wasatch one of America's most vibrant, high quality restaurant scenes. Redford's passion for skiing and subsequently film has given Utah Sundance.

I know that as of today, this has turned out to be a mixed bag in certain terms, but Holding's passion for opulant hotels gave SLC America's most lavish Downtown flagship in modern times. It would have been nice if he had set aside enough funds and passion for surrounding development. I spent a few days on a shoot at the Marina Del Rey Ritz last week. Believe me, in so many of the obvious material details, it doesn't even come close to The Grand. This is the case with most modern luxury hotel brands today.

At one time many thought that Adnan Khashoggi would be the impetous of limitless investment in Downtown Salt Lake's buildup, but that fizzeled.

Right now, Salt Lake City's CBD is on a steady but very conservative buildup of towers. I'm still hoping that Future Mayor's, and my theory along with other forumers will prevail. That Mega Corps. like Chase and Goldman will get the ball rolling sooner than later.

Hmm...wouldn't it be great if we had a Skyscaper geek like SLCProjects, who also had a Fortune 100 net worth to throw around on new tallests...

[delts145]

Also posted on the Transportation Thread

New streetcar bringing optimism for Sugar House’s economic future

By Andrew Adams, Deseret News

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86558...m-for-Sugar-House7s-economic-future.html

...“I’ve been really impressed with the way things keep getting better and better because of the development in the area,” glass artist Wayne Jacobsen said.

The optimism has spilled north a block to the twice-displaced Sugar House Coffee.

“We aren’t moving again. This is where we’re going to stay,” said general manager Emily Potts. “The first location was definitely the one we would have rather have been in, but this is going good. Business is thriving.”...


Optimism grows over Sugar House's economic future as crews test the new S-line streetcar, which will debut in December. (Todd Hougaard, Deseret News)



General manager of Sugar House Coffee Emily Potts said her business has been displaced twice and they are lucky to still be in business. She said she felt optimistic about the future and that UTA'S new streetcar will benefit the coffee shop. (Todd Hougaard, Deseret News)

.

[EPdesign]

I drove by the Gateways District and saw how nicely the two projects in that area are coming along, as well as the Hotel and Parking structure to the south of the ESA. Density Downtown is really increasing. Hopefully as land becomes more and more scares, it causes development to rise higher.

[jedikermit]

This is tiniest bit of news/speculation, but Vosen's German Bakery (which I love) has just moved about a block west--still on 200 South, but now at 328 west, where before it was about 270 west. Only interesting because that was one of the few open and healthy businesses on the south side of 200 South between 200 W and 300 W. With that gone, I can see a developer wanting to do something with a larger parcel there.

And Vosen's new place is great--now they have a place to sit and eat, bigger store space, free wifi...much better setup than it was before in a lot of ways.

[jimmycdii]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

This is tiniest bit of news/speculation, but Vosen's German Bakery (which I love) has just moved about a block west--still on 200 South, but now at 328 west, where before it was about 270 west. Only interesting because that was one of the few open and healthy businesses on the south side of 200 South between 200 W and 300 W. With that gone, I can see a developer wanting to do something with a larger parcel there.

And Vosen's new place is great--now they have a place to sit and eat, bigger store space, free wifi...much better setup than it was before in a lot of ways.

I was thinking maybe they had moved because something was coming to that spot; the entire north side of the block is now abandoned.

However, a mexican restaurant is opening where a sushi restaurant just closed, so I guess the buildings weren't being cleared out for anything in particular.

Looking forward to Vosen's though.

[Makid]

I am not sure if this was mentioned before or not but the Trax station under the skybridge at City Creek has a new pedestrian barrier. They have replaced the plastic yellow barricades and have a concrete median with some poles and wire between them.

The poles look to be replaceable. I do think that over time, they will replace these with something that fits the area better.

[DCRes]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

This is tiniest bit of news/speculation, but Vosen's German Bakery (which I love) has just moved about a block west--still on 200 South, but now at 328 west, where before it was about 270 west. Only interesting because that was one of the few open and healthy businesses on the south side of 200 South between 200 W and 300 W. With that gone, I can see a developer wanting to do something with a larger parcel there.

And Vosen's new place is great--now they have a place to sit and eat, bigger store space, free wifi...much better setup than it was before in a lot of ways.

Is the new spot at the bottom of the Westgate Lofts? I really like 200 S all the way from the Gateway up past State Street, it is one of the better east-west connectors to the main street and 'lower downtown'. But the block between 200 and 300 west is a gapping hole. Hopefully if the CCH is built on the north side it will include ground level retail and the south side can develop as well.