Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by Orlando

I made a call in regarding the Flower Patch demo, and all they could tell me is that they're doing the demo of the building, and that there are no plans that they are aware of for a building to be built back on it. I'm not sure if I understood them correctly, but I think they said that the property is owned by Grand America.

Back in '97, there was some controversy with Grand America and the Flower Patch. Flower Patch wouldn't sell. So, the City and Grand America were involved in negotiating something or even looking into eminent domain because of its blighted nature. Grand America's original proposal had a 14-story office tower proposed for that spot in the same architectural style as the Grand. Can anybody find the original rendering?

From what I've found, there was never going to be a 14-story office tower. I've seen this mentioned a few times on SSP over the years and I've found little evidence that the hotel was going up - along with an office tower.

What was originally proposed were two 12-story towers on each corner - one on 500 South and State and the other, I'm assuming, would have been on the 600 S corner of State.

This from a Deseret News article in 1996:

The oil company received approval from the Salt Lake Planning Commission Thursday for a conditional use permit to build its twin-tower project on the 91/2 acres the company owns on the 10-acre block.

...

The commission's conditional use permit allows Sinclair Oil to build its project farther back from the street than city ordinance requires. It can also build taller in mid-block and shorter on the corners than the ordinance calls for, Dansie said.

The new design reflects a relocation of a 12-story executive hotel originally positioned on the corner of State Street and 500 South that will now be placed in the center of the block's north side along 500 South.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/50132...T-THERELL-BE-NO-ROOM-FOR-RDA.html?pg=all

So, the original design was only 12-stories tall - which would have been smaller than the 24-stories that was eventually built. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any renderings of the original hotel, but someone with photoshop skills could most likely replicate it by lowering the floor count and putting two 12-story towers on each corner.

But yeah, I've yet to find any news articles on this supposed 14-story office tower.

[Future Mayor]

We have to keep in mind that we don't know what the County is going to require as far as the convention space. We haven't heard either way if they are going to want continuously flowing expo space from the existing expo space, or if they simply want more meeting space. The county has mentioned that they need more expo space.

Remember the reason that the TIF money can be used is that the County will own the convention space and a portion of the parking that is built in conjunction with the CCH. I find it difficult to grasp a concept where the convention space (either expo or meeting) is owned by the county but isn't within the natural flow of the existing Salt Palace.

Outdoor Retailers wants/needs more expo type space. This, despite the rumor, is why I don't think the Shilo site will work for the CCH. For an additional hotel geared towards convention business, yes, but not THE CCH that counts as part of the Salt Palace square footage.

[SLC Projects]

Sounds like we were better off with having a single 24-story tower then to have two 12-story buildings for the Grand America Hotel.

[Comrade]

Okay, so, it looks like I was wrong. When the article mentions 'twin-towers' it does so loosely - the original plan did call for the larger, 22-story complex we have right now in the middle of the block, however, an extension of the hotel, a 12-story executive hotel tower, on the corner of 500 S and State. This is the rendering:



Not a good rendering - but you get the idea of what the original proposal looked like. Not actually twin-towers like the articles suggested.

In the end, the main hotel is two-stories taller and wider.

[Comrade]

Looking up old stuff, I came across an early proposal for what would become the current Gallivan site. It called for a 50-story tower, which went into the development phase in 1984, on the site of the current One Utah Center:

[Scraperdude801]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Okay, so, it looks like I was wrong. When the article mentions 'twin-towers' it does so loosely - the original plan did call for the larger, 22-story complex we have right now in the middle of the block, however, an extension of the hotel, a 12-story executive hotel tower, on the corner of 500 S and State. This is the rendering:



Not a good rendering - but you get the idea of what the original proposal looked like. Not actually twin-towers like the articles suggested.

In the end, the main hotel is two-stories taller and wider.

I would gladly welcome the addition of the executive tower, but this is Sinclair we are talking about; so they are likely demolishing the flower shop to make way for a "beautifully landscaped" parking lot.

[SLC Projects]

Utah Primed For Success Series: Part 1
THE FOUNDATION by Chris Kirk, Senior Director of Office, Cushman & Wakefield | Commerce


The U.S. Economy added 288,000 jobs in February, its best month in two years. 78,000 of these jobs are in the three sectors most important for office commercial real estate activity; financial services, professional and business services, and information. The national unemployment rate went from 6.7% to 6.3%. In Utah, the current unemployment rate is 4.1% and these three sectors have also posted solid growth here.

Locally, 2013 leasing activity in office buildings was strong. Absorption approached record levels. Vacancy in most submarkets decreased, and upward pressure on Lease Rates tipped the scales back towards the Landlord’s favor. Cushman & Wakefield Commerce projects that market fundamentals will continue to support positive leasing activity which should lead to levels on par with 2013. The vacancy rate may rise slightly however, as newly constructed office space becomes available. In superior submarkets and in Class A buildings the lease rate per square foot is expected to increase this year.

Across the Salt Lake Valley office leasing activity has been growing. Companies continue to expand, large existing companies with bullish hiring projections have leased space or are seeking space, and some traditionally suburban companies are considering downtown closer to city center.

http://111mainblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/utah-primed-for-success-series-part-1/

[H4vok]

Haven't seen this angle before:

[ToysNoiz]

Originally Posted by H4vok

Haven't seen this angle before:

I like the angles at the top, but from that view, it looks sqwauty. I think we are getting a boring tower.

where did you find this?

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by ToysNoiz

where did you find this?

From the blog.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by utenation

I love it.. Go big or go home..

Denver's Hyatt is about the same distance to their convention center with no tunnel or skybridge.

If RWP is selected, then we might get something stretched out like Denver's. If it is on the Shilo Inn site, it will probably be taller and narrower than Denver's.

[Orlando]

The previous image looked to be stretched horizontally too much. This adjusted image is probably more correct. Take a look at the tribune building for a better clue. Gateway Tower West was originally located too high.



That base looks awful. I think it's a bad idea to set back like that. Also, the way the tower crashes into the UPAC. 222 was so much more sophisticated in how it responded to the other buildings.

[ToysNoiz]

Originally Posted by Orlando

That base looks awful. I think it's a bad idea to set back like that. Also, the way the tower crashes into the UPAC. 222 was so much more sophisticated in how it responded to the other buildings.

I don't completely agree with you on the base, but I 100% agree on how the tower crashes into the theater. More I walk by 222, the more I love it. Works so well with its surroundings.

one concern I have with the RWP site is the possibility of getting a wall. I don't think that it will be stucco ugly like Denver's, though.

[DenverInfill]

There's no stucco on the Denver Hyatt CCH.

[utenation]

Originally Posted by DenverInfill

There's no stucco on the Denver Hyatt CCH.

This hotel is a quality hotel. I've stayed there a few times. The bar at the top is sweet. Some great views of the city. The rooms and amenities are well done. Walking to our conference was a breeze. The train ran right by the cc and cch. I think Denver's setup is great. I know some slc forumers aren't big fans but I've seen much worse.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by utenation

This hotel is a quality hotel. I've stayed there a few times. The bar at the top is sweet. Some great views of the city. The rooms and amenities are well done. Walking to our conference was a breeze. The train ran right by the cc and cch. I think Denver's setup is great. I know some slc forumers aren't big fans but I've seen much worse.

I've stayed there several times too -- loved it every time. Convenient to the convention center and the rest of downtown. Great hotel, great site.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Looking up old stuff, I came across an early proposal for what would become the current Gallivan site. It called for a 50-story tower, which went into the development phase in 1984, on the site of the current One Utah Center:

Intriguing. Did they say anything about a possible tenant? How does the 50 stories compare to that original Triad Center plan with Adnan Khashoggi? (slaughtering the spelling, but you know who I mean)

[ToysNoiz]

Originally Posted by DenverInfill

There's no stucco on the Denver Hyatt CCH.

I took a closer look, you're right. But the tan sides really make it look stucco. I don't like the design, but I'm glad that some people do. I personally don't want something like it in SLC.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

Intriguing. Did they say anything about a possible tenant? How does the 50 stories compare to that original Triad Center plan with Adnan Khashoggi? (slaughtering the spelling, but you know who I mean)

What I don't get is how did SLC get all those 45-50 story proposals back 30 years ago when there were by far fewer people living here then vs now? Clearly the demand was never there back then, but developers back then seem to dare to dream big while today if there's ever a demand for anything that tall it's right now, but all we continue to get are 20 ish story buildings.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

Intriguing. Did they say anything about a possible tenant? How does the 50 stories compare to that original Triad Center plan with Adnan Khashoggi? (slaughtering the spelling, but you know who I mean)

First Security Bank was going to be a major tenant. It was going to be developed by Lincoln Properties Co., though I don't think it ever reached the level of producing a rendering of the building.

The Triad Towers were set to be 40-stories each, I believe.

Also, fun fact: Eagle Gate Tower (WTC) was originally proposed to be Salt Lake's tallest at 32-stories back in 1983. But the original plans were shelved when the LDS Church voiced their concern that it would be too tall. A year or so later, the 22-story Eagle Gate Plaza began construction.