Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by delts145

FYI

UPDATE:

...The overall Winter Olympics champ is still the kickoff of the Salt Lake City games on February 8, 2002...That domestic Opening Ceremony had a 25.5/42 rating and pulled in 45.6 million viewers for NBC. Salt Lake still stands as the most watched OP ever Winter or Summer Olympics, coming out ahead of the 2012 London Games which had a U.S. audience of 40.7 million...

...it's also been nice to hear the announcers/commentators giving Salt Lake City a shoutout every few minutes. Even something as simple as "their first games was in 2002 in Salt Lake City" is one more mention of SLC, in a positive context, reminding people that we're awesome, and our games were too.

Aaaand, I was in NYC for two weeks in January -- I was stuck in a hotel room for a few nights, and in virtually every commercial block, at least one of the commercials was for Park City. Which was kind of weird to see when you're out of town. But it was also gratifying.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Speaking of apartment fires...

Here's a video from the SLC Fire Department from 1980 as they battle the Avalon Apartments fire. It killed 12 people - mostly children. Had never heard of this before (well before time, tho). It was the deadliest fire in state history.

• Video Link

Was that where the broadway tower condos now stands??? Looks like it based on the building next door.

[Future Mayor]

Thanks for the pictures ajiuO

Originally Posted by ajiuO

What will be interesting to see is the gigantic hole that will appear as the very southern portion of the press building is demolished. When I first started at NAC they took us all on a tour and they showed us the room where they kept the paper for for presses. It was a gigantic room probably about two stories or more deep just filled with giant paper rolls. The rest of the press building had a sublevel but nothing nearly as deep at the paper room.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

Was that where the broadway tower condos now stands??? Looks like it based on the building next door.

Yes. You can see the Firestone service center next to it - which still exists today.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Yes. You can see the Firestone service center next to it - which still exists today.

Yeah I kind of noticed that too... I mainly recognize the Broadway Plaza building because my dentist used to be in there...

I remember there was another large apartment building on the other side of the Broadway Plaza building that was demolished... It almost seems like it was abandoned or something but I can't remember for sure... It's just a parking lot now.

[ajiuO]

I think it's time that salt lake seriously starts to consider relocating all of the homeless and transient facilities in the Rio Grande and Gateway area... It's growing out of control and starting to have a negative impact on the area.

I've spoken to residents at the park Gateway condominium community.. They said that the growing problem is a constant concern at their HOA meetings.. The parkway along fifth West is becoming popular transient camp and drug deal location.. And a lot of residents don't feel safe there anymore.

I don't see how the city ever expects to sucsesfully redevelop the Rio Grande area without first addressing this problem.. I can totally understand why shoppers are abandoning the Gateway mall.. Just doesn't feel like a comfortable place anymore... I use to love going over there to see late-night movies.. Lately it's starting to make me nervous... I'll come out of a movie and there's transients hanging around outside the entrance to the theater (on mall property). I've even seen them sleeping in the parking garage.. Am I going to get mugged in there?? It's Like the mall security just doesn't exist or doesn't care anymore.

The biggest draw for the Gateway mall right now is the fact that it has the only movie theater in the area.. What's going to happen when Cinemark finally builds its new theater?? I sure as hell won't go over there anymore.

I would love to be able to go over there and have a different selection of shops then I have at City Creek Center.... But it seems worse and worse every time I go over there.. Companies like Lego are never going to put a store in that mall.., the way it is around there right now..

The problem is is that we have too many of the homeless facilities condensed into an area that also has parks, viadocs, buses, trains, A lot of old shady places... The areas like a transient mecca hub.. It needs to be broken up... Perhaps they could relocate some of these facilities to the refinery area... An area that will likely never undergo mainstream redevelopment... We really need to get the problem out of the heart of our capital city.. And an area that is prime for redevelopment... People are just never going to feel safe around all the drugs and crap that comes along with the transient hoards.. Nice or not that's a fact... Either spread the problem out and make it less dense or move it completely.

[SLC Projects]

Gateway (Boyer Company ) choose to develop right across the street from the homeless facilities that were there long before any thing else. Surly they had to known the risks even before ground was broken.
Hardly seems fair to ask them to pack up and move. And where would they even move to? Nobody wants these homeless facilities near them.

[ajiuO]

The refinery area... Or better yet.. San Francisco

We should just load them on the bus to sunny California... And I'm not talking about the homeless people who are legitimately down on their luck and trying to get their lives together... Those are not the people causing problems out on the streets.. I'm talking about the drunks and druggies...

We should just stop offering assistance to drugs and druggies.. If we did that they would probably leave for somewhere that's more hospitable all year around... The only reason they're here is to take advantage of Mormon hospitality.. Other states point them in our direction... We shouldn't hesitate to do the same thing.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

Thanks for the pictures ajiuO



What will be interesting to see is the gigantic hole that will appear as the very southern portion of the press building is demolished. When I first started at NAC they took us all on a tour and they showed us the room where they kept the paper for for presses. It was a gigantic room probably about two stories or more deep just filled with giant paper rolls. The rest of the press building had a sublevel but nothing nearly as deep at the paper room.

I remember that--I always wanted to do some spelunking down there. Maybe now's my big chance!!

[mhays]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Other potential U.S. cities for a winter Olympics are Seattle, Anchorage, Reno/Tahoe, & Portland. Though, I don't think Portland would ever for a global event like the Olympics.

As a Seattle resident, I'd be shocked if it was even discussed as a possibility. There was a sizeable backlash the last time a summer Olympics bid was discussed, and we're not cold enough for a winter olympics. (Though I'd love it....and how many Olympic cities can park cruise ships within walking distance of major venues, averaging 1,500 rooms each?)

[ToysNoiz]

I just got back from a movie at Gateway. Driving, the passengers kept pointing out how bad the area was, and how they would never move into a condo there. Personally, that wouldn't stop me from living there, but it is a big issue. I'm not exactly sure how to solve it, but I like ajiuO's idea. Reminds me of.....

[Comrade]

Just take 'em out to a parking lot and shoot 'em.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Just take 'em out to a parking lot and shoot 'em.

I'd rather send them to a competing city like Denver.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

I'd rather send them to a competing city like Denver.

Na'. Why waste the $$$ relocating 'em?

[delts145]

I think that the large amount of class A office space at Gateway will keep ghetto creep from taking over. However, it sounds like the latest round of owners are a bit of the absentee variety. Like Future Mayor and a few others have expressed, I'm thinking that the latest round of significant residential going up will help to push back, and force an improvement with the negative issues.

[utenation]

So when does the CCH get voted on? Wasn't the bill introduced last week?

[SL,UT]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

I think it's time that salt lake seriously starts to consider relocating all of the homeless and transient facilities in the Rio Grande and Gateway area... It's growing out of control and starting to have a negative impact on the area.

The homeless are not the problem. It is just a few bad apples that travel to this area to sell and buy drugs. I laugh at the ignorance of people that think its just the homeless that are causing all the problems. They are not!!! Our government seems to turn a blind eye to the problem. They haven't done a thing to help deal with homelessness.

SLPD has ramped up patrols in the area to combat the drug problem, but seriously the city and the state need to take this issue by the horns and start taking drastic measures to solve this problem. We need more affordable housing and more social programs to help people who are homeless get jobs, housing, and the help that they need to keep them off the street.

Shipping them off to another city is the most bogus pathetic thing I have ever heard!!! The Herbert Administration seems to think that the most important thing right now is to defend Amendment 3. That is the problem. Our government is so fixated on keeping religious bias ingrained in Utah law, that everything else gets put aside.

[EPdesign]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Just take 'em out to a parking lot and shoot 'em.

Wow. I can't believe you just said that and no one objected. while I don't have the solution...I wouldn't mind Salt Lake Doing what San Diego has done....

http://sandiego.urbdezine.com/2012/05/24/15th-commercial-affordable-housing-project-completed/

Only because It would add another building to the skyline.

[Just A Thought]

Originally Posted by delts145

I think that the large amount of class A office space at Gateway will keep ghetto creep from taking over. However, it sounds like the latest round of owners are a bit of the absentee variety. Like Future Mayor and a few others have expressed, I'm thinking that the latest round of significant residential going up will help to push back, and force an improvement with the negative issues.

Somebody mentioned Boyer's buildings at Gateway, If Boyer are so confident about the area, why did they sell 4 buildings totaling over 440,000 square foot at the Gateway last summer?

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/56643814-79/gateway-hines-buildings-office.html.csp

The entity that is affiliated with a very large residential/office/retail development in East Downtown is also the largest donator to the Road Home. There are some very obvious advantages to making sure the condos and retail in that area are unappealing so that condos/retail/office in East Downtown maintain value. Another advantage is the overall land value depreciation in the area, this allows the RDA to continue its buying spree at discounted values.

http://www.theroadhome.org/about/annual-reports/

It may be a non-profit, but I'd love to know what costs almost quarter a million dollars a week to run it.

I work and live within a 2 minute walk of the Road Home, have done for 4 years now. It is much worse now than ever. Drug dealing is effectively legal on that block. I talk to the police there and all they can do is 'detain the dealer' for around 3 or 4 hours. an arrested, well organized dealer is back on that corner within the day.

The city are clearly incapable of legislating the operations of the Road Home. They actually allow the dealers to park their cars there for free!

So it needs to be closed in the interests of the actual homeless safety, small business, local residents, community, tourism, and being able to take my kids to the damn park!

A new larger homeless shelter needs to be built next to the new public safety building. It needs to be run by people that actually care about the homeless.

Downtown rising huh? more like The Road Home Rising!

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by utenation

So when does the CCH get voted on? Wasn't the bill introduced last week?

Been wondering the same thing. ????