Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 4

[jubguy3]

Thanks guys. Because of the positive response I will try to get updates for the SJQuinney College of Law as major elements are installed. I should have time some Monday mornings to get some pictures of the 111 UPAC site. As we get deep in to winter I may not get updates because I do not like the cold. When the facade starts rising I'll try to get lots of updates.

I hope this is beneficial to the forum. If anyone has problems with me hosting it on imgur there is nothing I can do about it. Also, please keep in mind I will maybe get denver street updates as significant work happens.

Ok, away from my attention whore time (sorry for the language, I know how you guys are), I'd like to bring up something that I think needs a serious discussion - south temple. I've noticed that south temple is both a pretty street and is also a major east west corridor from downtown to the U (second south is limited both in its local format, stop signs, the very steep bench climb it has to endure, and it's narrowness - south temple is a much better east west corridor. I think south temple is perfectly suited for both express and local transit (I included that in the transit mix map with route 0 and 0L) to and from the North Temple FrontRunner to the Union. Said express transit could act as a convenient connector for those who need to exit at north temple - currently there is no direct 15 minute University service from the viaduct (the 6 is dumb and slow).Local transit comes in to play in the next element - making south temple a place to live. South temple is fairly walkable and has lots of local retail. It also feels very urban with the weird intersections and trees that were put in to place. There is additionally an abundance of empty lots suitable for high density residential. I would support housing with GF Retail at least 5 stories in height that has a varied mix of mid range family house, single occupant housing, senior living, and a majority as student housing. Because it is a historic district, architectural guidelines would need to be set in place (the ugly blue apartments on 4th and the condominiums on rosa parks for example would be detrimental to the feel of south temple) to make the architecture act as a background visual element so as to make sure that the historic feel is preserved without building ugly apartments. High quality materials like wood trim and bricks could be enforced so we don't end up with stucco. A panel could be appointed to approve designs. In preserving the historic feel, south temple could now act as 3 things - a historic district, a traffic corridor from downtown and nt FrontRunner to the university, a local retail district, and as a high density housing district. This would help curb the fact that SLC keeps letting it go in favor of updating 2nd, Broadway, and university, preventing future decay.

The reason local transit is needed is because a transfer is required between the 209 and 6 for those not wanting to walk to third avenue or 6th avenue, one of which runs every 30 minutes, meaning it can take 30 minutes to get between downtown and the university if the schedule is timed. A direct north connection on south temple is beneficial, even though there is some duplication of the 2 and 220.

[TheWire]

It looks like Delta is adding another daily international route to SLC International. This time it is Mexico City.

Delta bolsters Salt Lake City hub with Mexico City route

http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthe...ity-hub-with-mexico-city-route/14444527/

Delta Air Lines will add nonstop service between Mexico City and Salt Lake City.

Starting Dec. 20, the carrier will fly one daily round-trip flight on the route using Airbus A319 aircraft.

Delta says the new route from its Utah hub is part of strategy to grow in Mexico by connecting key Mexican business markets to its "international hubs in the United States."

Delta, of course, has a partnership with Aeromexico, Mexico's biggest carrier. In addition to owning a minority stake in Aeromexico, Delta also has a passenger-sharing codeshare pact with Aeromexico as well as reciprocal frequent-flier benefits.

Delta says its Salt Lake City-Mexico city routes will be timed to connect to more than a dozen of Aeromexico's Mexican destinations via Aeromexico's Mexico City hub. Among the connection possibilities are Acapulco, Cancun, Leon, Monterrey and Veracruz.

"Our new service between Salt Lake City and Mexico City is part of Delta's commitment to supporting this growing demand for business customers, both in the capital city and in other cities within Mexico, through our combined network with Aeromexico," Carlos E. Hernandez, Delta's director for Mexico, says in a statement.

Delta's new Mexico City route comes amid a series of positive developments for the Salt Lake City airport.

Delta announced last month that it would add a second trans-Atlantic route from its Salt Lake City hub, launching nonstop service to Amsterdam in 2015.

Also last month, work began on a $1.8 billion upgrade to the airport. The project includes a new terminal that will give fliers sweeping views of the nearby Wasatch mountain range. The overhaul will be a substantial one, with the project completely replacing the existing terminal by the time it's completed early next decade.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by airhero

Also, does anyone else feel like Salt Lake needs more park space? Liberty Park is nice and I love it but I feel like it's small. Denver's City Park is 3 times bigger than Liberty (and that's not including the zoo). Boise's Ann Morrison Park is twice as big. Austin's Zilker is over 4 times the size. Central Park (I know this is apples to oranges but I need to compare) is 10.5 times as large.

I was just trying to see if Salt Lake has any sort of plan to establish another large park. I couldn't find anything substantial that indicates they do, but I think it would be a good idea. Maybe this is crazy or a bad idea, but perhaps one side of North Temple west of I-15 and east of 215 could be transformed into mostly park space, with the other side being lined with businesses/residential/retail and such. Looking at the plan for North Temple Boulevard, creating a large park in the area doesn't seem to be completely out of the question. The Jordan River is there. It still probably wouldn't be a huge park, though.

Does anyone have thoughts about this? Not necessarily the North Temple idea, but about more park space in general.

City Creek Canyon is a larger 'park' than any of those.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by gusam26

I was under the impression that theres a city ordinance that wont allow a parking lot to go on a corner?

There's a parking lot on the SE corner of Grand America where the pawn shop used to be.

[jubguy3]

anyone know where future mayor is? Hasn't been active since August 5th

[delts145]

Originally Posted by Stenar

City Creek Canyon is a larger 'park' than any of those.

Thanks Stenar for pointing that out. Also, My entire life spent at the Wasatch Front along with hundreds of thousands of others, I was much closer to the convenience of the most beautiful city parks on a truly grand scale, "The Wasatch Mountains," than the average urban dweller to their typical comparatively boring city parks. There's no city park from Central Park to Griffith that can even come close to the beauty of the hundreds of miles of interior trails, byways and shoreline of the Salt Lake City Metro and it's intertwined Mountains and Canyons.

Compared to most major cities Los Angeles is located amongst some very rugged, scenic topography. That said, the residential plots and city canyons are pretty, but quite anemic when compared to the drama of the Wasatch benches and Canyons. You take typical residential like the Hollywood Hills, or byways like Laurel and Coldwater Canyons, which on their own are very lovely and much desired real estate. However, compared to benches like South Mountain, Federal Heights or Olympus Cove and Canyons like the Cottonwoods or American Fork, then you are talking not apples and oranges, but cranberries and watermelons.

[EPdesign]

Originally Posted by delts145

Thanks Stenar for pointing that out. Also, My entire life spent at the Wasatch Front along with hundreds of thousands of others, I was much closer to the convenience of the most beautiful city parks on a truly grand scale, "The Wasatch Mountains," than the average urban dweller to their typical comparatively boring city parks. There's no city park from Central Park to Griffith that can even come close to the beauty of the hundreds of miles of interior trails, byways and shoreline of the Salt Lake City Metro and it's intertwined Mountains and Canyons.

Compared to most major cities Los Angeles is located amongst some very rugged, scenic topography. That said, the residential plots and city canyons are pretty, but quite anemic when compared to the drama of the Wasatch benches and Canyons.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by jubguy3

anyone know where future mayor is? Hasn't been active since August 5th

I am concerned too. I hope it's just a well deserved extended vacation to Europe, and not some kind of health issue or accident.

Oh, and Jubguy, I love the pics. I'd like to post them for updates over on the popular Compilation Threads, but the transfer format is huge. Is there a way of formatting them a little smaller?

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by airhero

Also, does anyone else feel like Salt Lake needs more park space? Liberty Park is nice and I love it but I feel like it's small. Denver's City Park is 3 times bigger than Liberty (and that's not including the zoo). Boise's Ann Morrison Park is twice as big. Austin's Zilker is over 4 times the size. Central Park (I know this is apples to oranges but I need to compare) is 10.5 times as large.

I was just trying to see if Salt Lake has any sort of plan to establish another large park. I couldn't find anything substantial that indicates they do, but I think it would be a good idea. Maybe this is crazy or a bad idea, but perhaps one side of North Temple west of I-15 and east of 215 could be transformed into mostly park space, with the other side being lined with businesses/residential/retail and such. Looking at the plan for North Temple Boulevard, creating a large park in the area doesn't seem to be completely out of the question. The Jordan River is there. It still probably wouldn't be a huge park, though.

Does anyone have thoughts about this? Not necessarily the North Temple idea, but about more park space in general.

I agree that Salt Lake City needs more park space, but multiple smaller parks are better than big parks.

[delts145]

I like the multi use parks that the metro is establishing everywhere. Parks such as the new soccer complex or those going in like the Riverton Park...And they seem to be popping up everywhere. Also, there have been a multitude of major trail improvements and additions in the last few years. If we're just talking Salt Lake City proper, or especially the CBD, then yeah. I'd like to see some more inner block parks intermingled with attractive water works, monuments and dense vertical residential. Much like we'd see in a European Capital.

[strippadam]

Also the city is planning on doing the larger parks down between the freeway and the railroad tracks as well as the railroad tracks to the residential in the Granary District, etc. I feel that parks will continue to pop up and supply amble open space to the city. To do a larger park would require a lot of demolition of existing structures which would not fly to well at all. Besides we have parks in our back yards they are called mountains! Something Denver still has to drive to get to.

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by delts145

I like the multi use parks that the metro is establishing everywhere. Parks such as the new soccer complex or those going in like the Riverton Park...And they seem to be popping up everywhere. Also, there have been a multitude of major trail improvements and additions in the last few years. If we're just talking Salt Lake City proper, or especially the CBD, then yeah. I'd like to see some more inner block parks intermingled with attractive water works, monuments and dense vertical residential. Much like we'd see in a European Capital.

I agree that it's a step in the right direction, but the lack of foresight early in the city's history has hurt in the long run. I live in South Salt Lake and there are no parks anywhere near me, not even small corner parks.

If they're going to tear down Granite High School - I'm not saying they should - but if that's what they ultimately decide to do, I hope they just turn it into a park. And not just a flat area of grass, something really nice.

[jubguy3]

I live in yakecrest, with the benefit of being close to many small parks. It is very helpful to be able to just walk a bit and enjoy a day at the park - many other districts need to recognize the need for parks. I think Sugarhouse should set up a park north of 21st between 9tj and 11th.

[jubguy3]

I have some (low quality) pics of Wilmington gardens and the apts by hidden hollow (from the hidden hollow section). Is anyone really interested in them enough for me to post? Not much has happened. This is the only worthwhile pic.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by delts145

I am concerned too. I hope it's just a well deserved extended vacation to Europe, and not some kind of health issue or accident.

Oh, and Jubguy, I love the pics. I'd like to post them for updates over on the popular Compilation Threads, but the transfer format is huge. Is there a way of formatting them a little smaller?

I was kind of wondering the same thing... Hopfully he is out trying to find some more stucco suppliers so that we can finally get some more of these projects rolling :-)

[jubguy3]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

I was kind of wondering the same thing... Hopfully he is out trying to find some more stucco suppliers so that we can finally get some more of these projects rolling :-)

No! Not the orange stucco! Orange stucco ruins lives. We need to take a moment to see the impact it had on our families and children. We can not go on like this.

[airhero]

I agree that the Wasatch Mountains are a huge asset for Salt Lake, but I think bringing them up in a city park discussion it's apples and oranges. I think it's wrong to imply that the mountains fulfill the city's need for parks. They're different and aren't easy to access or navigate like a park is. Also I'm always hearing that small or pocket parks are better than large ones. I personally haven't seen much proof of that. Most the small city parks I go to have little activity going on and can be a convenient hub for transient folk. I think Salt Lake needs a large park relatively close to downtown and dense residential. It needs to have a wide variety of uses for a range of people and needs to be easily accessible from public transit

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by airhero

I agree that the Wasatch Mountains are a huge asset for Salt Lake, but I think bringing them up in a city park discussion it's apples and oranges. I think it's wrong to imply that the mountains fulfill the city's need for parks. They're different and aren't easy to access or navigate like a park is. Also I'm always hearing that small or pocket parks are better than large ones. I personally haven't seen much proof of that. Most the small city parks I go to have little activity going on and can be a convenient hub for transient folk. I think Salt Lake needs a large park relatively close to downtown and dense residential. It needs to have a wide variety of uses for a range of people and needs to be easily accessible from public transit

It depends on where those parks are located and how well they're maintained. Some small parks attract a lot of people (Tanner Park is a good example of what I'm thinking of).

Anyway, the mere existence of parks in residential areas are better than just cramming more McMansions or a strip mall in there. Sure, parks attract transients, but so do parking lots.

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by airhero

I think Salt Lake needs a large park relatively close to downtown and dense residential. It needs to have a wide variety of uses for a range of people and needs to be easily accessible from public transit

Uh, Liberty Park?

I mean it would be nice to see a future streetcar run along it, but otherwise it fits all those requirements, and it's not like it's hard to get to anyway.

[airhero]

I just find myself wanting this:



But I guess it's too much to ask for in Salt Lake.