Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 4

[Comrade]

Fireworks are overrated. I'd be cool if the city banned those major firework shows for New Year's, the 4th and 24th.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by jubguy3

Street engagement is where its at - portland from a high rise perspective, portland is meh, but when you think of downtown Portland, you think of an awesome, progressively planned pedestrian paradise. Plus, in SLC, we have a huge mountainous backdrop. I'd like to see more highrises but not at the expense of street level retail and transit.

Portland's downtown is expansive and dense - even if not all that vertical. It puts SLC's to shame.

[jubguy3]

Not the 4th!

[bflatflat9]

Originally Posted by Ironweed

Drove to downtown yesterday for business. There was a large excavator at the former Sizzler sight. Looks like that project is about ready to get started.

I've said this before. Salt Lake's downtown is small from a high rise perspective. I think downtown will have 'arrived' as a "major" downtown only upon having 3-4 buildings that are 1.5 to 2 times the height of the Wells Fargo Tower, or another 6-8 high-rises that are of the same height as Wells Fargo. Neither will happen in my lifetime. I am age 44. Wish I was proven wrong.

Feel free to flame away at my opinion.

It's all relative as far as "small" goes.....compared to what. But as far as "major" goes, then, yeah, agreed. Give or take a million sq. ft.

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Fireworks are overrated. I'd be cool if the city banned those major firework shows for New Year's, the 4th and 24th.

No way.

How much pollution does 3 fireworks shows really contribute on an overall scale?

A disco ball? Please. That is boring and dated. Nobody cares about disco balls. Fireworks may be noisy and dirty, but they will never get old. People will always love fireworks.

Not to mention fireworks make for amazing community events. They bring people out like almost nothing else could.

[Comrade]

Eh. Pollution is only part of it. They're more expensive long-term and, as I said, vastly overrated. Do away with 'em. Especially the SugarHouse ones.

[bob rulz]

The Sugarhouse fireworks are only mediocre because they haven't been able to raise enough money to put on good shows. I remember them being a lot better in my youth, when I lived just down the street and could watch them from my lawn.

How expensive are fireworks shows really? This is a legit question.

Your opinion that they are vastly overrated is just that, an opinion. I'm sure most people want to keep them.

[ToysNoiz]

Originally Posted by Ironweed

Drove to downtown yesterday for business. There was a large excavator at the former Sizzler sight. Looks like that project is about ready to get started.

I've said this before. Salt Lake's downtown is small from a high rise perspective. I think downtown will have 'arrived' as a "major" downtown only upon having 3-4 buildings that are 1.5 to 2 times the height of the Wells Fargo Tower, or another 6-8 high-rises that are of the same height as Wells Fargo. Neither will happen in my lifetime. I am age 44. Wish I was proven wrong.

Feel free to flame away at my opinion.

Tall buildings don't make a city.

[ToysNoiz]

I really don't care at all about fireworks. I'm never impressed with a few flashing lights. This country's full of pyros. I dread July... sitting in my home, all night 'til four in the morning from the window... POP! POP! POP!...............POP!......POP! POP!........pop.

[jubguy3]

Fireworks can range from $15,000 to $150,000. Sugarhouse is about $50,000 - $75,000 IIRC

[Future Mayor]

I assume that the Disco Ball will just be the centerpiece of the light show, I imagine that there will be an extensive light show, using lasers and other lights, that utilized the hugeness of the Disco Ball.

It's not necessarily copying time square, they have a large Crystal Ball that drops to enter in the new year, I think it sort of pays homage to it, but will be utilized in a different way.

Originally Posted by ToysNoiz

Tall buildings don't make a city.

I agree 100%. I've said it before many times and I'll keep saying it. I'd rather have two 25 story buildings added to downtown as opposed to a 50 story building. It adds density to the skyline and density to the streets in several locations, resulting in more pedestrian activity in a large area of the city, which in turn results in more retail and restaurant business

[UTPlanner]

Regarding the former Sizzler location on 400 south, they better not be doing any construction on the site yet as they haven't even applied for any permits. They were in the office a week ago discussing a proposed project. I will try and find out more information.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

Regarding the former Sizzler location on 400 south, they better not be doing any construction on the site yet as they haven't even applied for any permits. They were in the office a week ago discussing a proposed project. I will try and find out more information.

What about a demolition permit, have they applied for that?

[UTPlanner]

They have not applied for a demolition permit either. When they do they will need to submit plans for a reuse of the property as well.

[AllOutOfBubbleGum]

I had a business trip to Seattle a few days ago. Just something I observed, they too are building a lot of residential buildings in the Downtown area. Only theirs are 15 to 20 story buildings compared to our little 6 story wood apartments. (sigh) One day Salt Lake will get there. On another note ... the road system in and around Seattle is messed up. I'll take wide streets compared to those little peckers any day.

[RC14]

^
All of that is true. I have spent hours trying to find my way around Seattle. The streets are ridiculous and can be unnerving to negotiate, especially in some of the urban residential areas. However, I love the density there. They have dense residential development well beyond the downtown core and the CBD has allot of pedestrian traffic, even neighborhoods outside of the CBD actually. There are parts of Seattle outside of downtown that put our downtown to shame.
I actually see allot of similarities between Seattle and SLC that my not be obvious to someone who hasn't spent time there. I kind of see Seattle as Salt Lake further down the road of development except that Salt Lake has the advantage of better planning earlier on IMO. For example, our transit system and street layout are much better.

[GrandTeton]

Originally Posted by alloutofbubblegum

only theirs are 15 35 to 20 40 story buildings compared to our little 6 story wood apartments. (sigh)

ftfy

[AllOutOfBubbleGum]

Originally Posted by GrandTeton

ftfy

Rub it in a little more, I can take it.

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by AllOutOfBubbleGum

I had a business trip to Seattle a few days ago. Just something I observed, they too are building a lot of residential buildings in the Downtown area. Only theirs are 15 to 20 story buildings compared to our little 6 story wood apartments. (sigh) One day Salt Lake will get there. On another note ... the road system in and around Seattle is messed up. I'll take wide streets compared to those little peckers any day.

We do get the occasional 7 story residential building if that makes you feel any better.

[asies1981]

Post on the possible public-private development for the DA offices. A think something around 20-stories would fit nicely at that site and connect the Grand America to the rest of the skyline.