Quote:
Originally Posted by asies1981
Post on a new petition calling for refineries to be moved.
As someone who has dedicated the past 7 months to covering development in the Salt Lake, I feel that city is indeed booming. I have traveled a lot and lived for 7 years in one of the densest cities in the US. I've said this before but the heart of a city is at the street level. Salt Lake's downtown is seeing new life and new spaces that engage the street level and are bringing people downtown. There is a huge influx of mid-rise residential (and more on the way) in the periphery of downtown. These new projects bring density and people that will spend their evenings and weekends frequenting downtown establishments. To me the influx of mid-rise residential and needed infill is more an auspicious determiner then a 50-story building. People don't move to a city because it has a building over 50-stories. People move to the city because of its energy, walk-ability, transit, jobs and nightlight. Salt Lake is headed in the right direction in all of those areas listed. We will get a 50-story building sooner than later, but we can't forget that we have three skyscrapers that we know will be built in the next few years and there is a lot of residential coming into the city. Salt Lake is booming, the growth is just being spread out a bit, which in the end will make it a far more interesting city, than any 500-foot building can.
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Thank you Isaac. Your weigh in is most welcome on the subject. While I share some of the frustration of those who are impatient for new tallest, I think most of us agree that Salt Lake City and it's gorgeous linear metro is filling in at a rate that is among the fastest in the nation. If being at the top tier of lists like Brookings, Milken, Forbes and Money don't say boom, then what does? Also, the vast majority of us have voiced a strong preference for a dense, vibrant, curbside attractive CBD and urban nodes NOW, with new tallest to follow over a natural maturation of time. As many have pointed out, and I've seen it often first hand myself. There are many attractive skylines from a distance, that reveal a very anemic vitality when standing in their core. Not only will they never have the Wasatch 'in your face stunning setting', but they don't have the portfolio of monumental historical architecture, or the palette of bones and infrastructure. This is particularly true between the Mississippi and West Coast.
I agree that much of the Wasatch vibrant growth is being generated by it's larger than average population of youngsters. However, it's a very positive sign that much of the upcoming local generation is able to find gainful employment in many areas of the local economy that will sustain a decent lifestyle. That is more than can be said for a large number of states. And for those of you who find it difficult to live on a mediocre salary, try doing it in California, as is the plight of many millions of Californians. The haves and have not's gap in places like California has become very wide.
Speaking of inward growth. Not that this is any kind of scientific statistic. Have any of you who frequent a gym noticed over the past ten years the major change in the makeup of homegrown members vs. newbies. I can't help but notice when I make runs to the Wasatch and work out at a local gym, how much the mix of transplants has increased. There's no more a sea of toe heads, but a major shift in variety of ethnicity and native origin. Native in the sense from other countries, but also other states. Again, I say this only because it has been so glaringly obvious to me, and my own origin of Mediterranean appearance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by asies1981
Post on a new petition calling for refineries to be moved.
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Wow, moving the refineries!!! Now, that for me would be a long held dream come true. I have always resented with a passion their existence in that gateway location. As much as I would like to see the prison eventually moved, I would far rather the refineries be given a priority by the legislature over the prison. I would be curious to know though where exactly they're thinking they should be moved? Any of you who are more expert on energy refining have some ideas of the better suited locations. Should they go somewhere outside of Wendover? Maybe hidden out of site to the south and far west of a Nephi, or even Delta??
Also, anyone who can give me a reality check on the current power base of political representation for the refinery area? For example, say the prison area has, or the former Geneva site had a lot of political clout living in the back yard of their respective locations. Politicians living in Provo/Orem or So. Salt Lake/No. Utah Counties would be far more likely to push their agenda for their own back yard.
Another point. Would a Geneva/Prison style fantastical urban core be allowed to develop in that area? Are the proponents intent on making it pristinely empty? If they're not willing to make some kind of concessions to powerful development lobbies, then fat chance they'll get any kind of legislative force behind them. I say make the area a model of sustainable urban development, and even ironically LEED Certified.
On the other hand. Aren't they spending a fortune to pipe oil directly from the Uintah Basin to those refineries? Also, there's that major pipeline going from Salt Lake to Vegas? How does that effect the outcomes?
Let's get a healthy discussion going on this, and on this thread. It is most definitely a Salt Lake Development issue of major importance. I hope no one thinks we need to put this in a second tier energy thread!
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