Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[Pencil]

Idk if this is new but I thought I'd post it anyways. I also dont know how to crop an image so sorry if it's large.

[delts145]

This was a cool old photo, I think from the 50's by the looks of it. That really wasn't that long ago when you think about it, but boy have things changed. Notice all of that vacant land over on the upper west side of the photo. Thank goodness those billboard are gone, but I guess we lost that beautiful old mansion on the right. We talk about wasted space, but look at that weedy lot right on Main. I think infill is finally happening at a much faster pace since the Olympics, especially these past ten years. I can only hope that Salt Lake gets the upcoming Winter Games, which I think it will. By 2026 or 30 Salt Lake City will be much improved, even from 2002.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/85/41...7e818414bd.jpg

[Gastroc]

Salt Lake City’s South Downtown starting to ripen via Building Salt Lake

https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/sal...t2zift4Fqnptrs

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by Gastroc

Salt Lake City’s South Downtown starting to ripen via Building Salt Lake

https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/sal...t2zift4Fqnptrs

Building Salt Lake is in good hands if this is the kind of writing it will get going forward. This is a very well-written article with a lot of good information.

One interesting piece of new information I hadn't heard before is that money has already been invested to improving State Street between 600 S and 900 S. This is the first I've heard of it - does anybody know anything more about this? Mainly when it's expected to begin construction, because I'm eager.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by bob rulz

Building Salt Lake is in good hands if this is the kind of writing it will get going forward. This is a very well-written article with a lot of good information.

One interesting piece of new information I hadn't heard before is that money has already been invested to improving State Street between 600 S and 900 S. This is the first I've heard of it - does anybody know anything more about this? Mainly when it's expected to begin construction, because I'm eager.

From the article it would seem that State St. between 6th and 9th will emerge as more attractive than to the north between So. Temple and 6th. So glad that the empty or underutilized plots are filling in to the north with towers and denser development, but the CBD area of the street pavement itself could use some median beautification. Someone once mentioned that we wouldn't want to block the site line of the Capitol Building by placing trees up the median. That could be true. However, something such as shrubbery and flowers needs to be placed in order to get rid of that vacuous feeling. They also need to turn one of the intersections into a beautiful roundabout plaza complete with statuary and fountain.

Salt Lake City must continue to look for additional ways to distinguish itself from the average top fifty sized Metros. One way to do that would be to look at the historical grand blvd's of Europe. French, Italian, along with many European cities are replete with public additions to their main thoroughfares. Blvd. designs that have stood the test of time and have become world icons. One of the things that is most exciting about Salt Lake City from a design perspective is the incredible canvass that so many of its broad downtown streets present. There are so many bells and whistles that can be placed into a Downtown SLC street, and still allow for excellent street flow and or public transit. Speaking of which, BRT on STATE is a NO BRAINER!!

[RC14]

I wonder if a roundabout would improve traffic flow at the State Street/North Temple intersection. Most of the traffic is either waiting to turn left onto North temple or right onto State St.

[delts145]

That could be an excellent intersection for some kind of statuary, perhaps with a water feature. I'm just wondering how big the base of the work of art could be in the middle of that intersection. It would be easy to cut back the corners of the intersection on the west side. Remind me again what is occupying the corners of the east side. If I remember right, it would be easy to cut back all the corners of that intersection. Good idea RC14, I hadn't thought of that particular intersection before. That would be an excellent place to start creating something really stunning with some of the downtown intersections.

[delts145]

Remembering more now. Yeah, that would be a perfect place for a stunning roundabout. There's tons of room to realign the four corners. The site line looking at a work of statuary and fountain in the foreground with the Capitol looming in the background would be iconic.

[Orlando]

I wonder if a large tree/planting median on State Street in downtown would help that super wide urban waste land?

[Makid]

Originally Posted by delts145

Remembering more now. Yeah, that would be a perfect place for a stunning roundabout. There's tons of room to realign the four corners. The site line looking at a work of statuary and fountain in the foreground with the Capitol looming in the background would be iconic.

It might be slightly obscured by the Eagle Gate, 1 block north.

The Brigham Young statue set used to be in the middle of the intersection of Main and South Temple. It was moved slightly north when Trax was added and the plaza replaced main between North and South Temple. While it wasn't a roundabout, it was there and it did attract numerous inattentive drivers.

A good spot would be around West Temple and 6th South. This is the intersection of 2 primary gateways into SLC. A companion of sorts could be added at the 5th South intersection as well at a later date.

For State Street, I think 7th or 8th South would be a good location. That way we spread some of these features outward as they could possibly encourage development/redevelopment faster.

[jubguy3]

The problem with that intersection is that it freezes up from the volume of right turns onto state street that gets backed up at South Temple. I’m not sure a roundabout would fix much, 1 because the poor performance of the intersection is related to the complexity of the phases / turns and because it backs up from surrounding intersections like people waiting to turn onto State and then South Temple. The ideal solution in my mind would be to create an isolated right to left turn lane that takes you directly from north to south temple without mixing with other traffic; the signal needs to be timed to match the south temple / state intersection better. I’m worried that a roundabout would just block up from the asymmetrical traffic patterns. I’m wondering if the only way to utilize the intersection better is to reroute traffic onto 2nd avenue and use B or C street to get to South Temple with a reconfigured intersection?

[ajiuO]

I’m really hoping something happens with the sears block soon. It’s already starting to look really bad, and it’s only going to get worse. The old building is boarded up, and the property is not being maintained. Weeds are already starting to pop up in all of the parking lot cracks. They got chain-link fence around part of the parking lot. It appears as though some car dealership is using it to store cars. I really hope that this block does not become car dealerships.

They tore down that horrendous looking mortuary that was behind Sears. I’m kind of curious what the plan for that property is. It was my understanding that they aren’t allowed to tear anything down without a building permit for something new... so there must be some sort of plan for that property... or more likely there was a plan in order to rip it down and it has since been canceled.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Orlando

I wonder if a large tree/planting median on State Street in downtown would help that super wide urban waste land?

I'd much rather a tree/planting lined street with separated bike path than a planted median, which would obstruct the view corridor to the capitol. Have you ever tried walking around downtown during a hot summer day? Trees providing shade to pedestrians along the sidewalk (rather than trees in the middle of the street) would not only make walking more enjoyable but also make walking a more desirable form of transportation.

[Denvergotback]

Looks like I will be relocating to Salt Lake next weekend! (Well, Provo....but close enough!) it’s a bit bittersweet but from the looks of it there is a lot of exciting things going on! I’m excited to follow the area much more closely!

One question I do have though, where is Sugar House? From the sounds of it, it sounds like it has much potential!

I’m not looking to live that far, but it does sound like a cool place to check out with my wife.

[Utah_Dave]

Welcome to our little community sugar house is easy to find if you look for I-80 and 1300e on a map. You will find the Sugar House park and to the west is the “city” center. If you follow 1300e north you will end up near the University of Utah which has a few nice spots. Please post often and give us your perspective. I’d also like to get an outsiders point of view of Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden. They are each quite different and I’m always curious how an outsider views them. I’ve lived in Utah too long to look at it with fresh eyes so I’m eager to get your take on it. Dont give us the sugar coated version either

Do you have to live in Provo? Lol, one of my favorite small towns in northern Utah is Heber which is just north and east of Provo and is very scenic. so have a look around that town. Theirs so much potential there.

[Denvergotback]

Originally Posted by Utah_Dave

Welcome to our little community sugar house is easy to find if you look for I-80 and 1300e on a map. You will find the Sugar House park and to the west is the “city” center. If you follow 1300e north you will end up near the University of Utah which has a few nice spots. Please post often and give us your perspective. I’d also like to get an outsiders point of view of Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden. They are each quite different and I’m always curious how an outsider views them. I’ve lived in Utah too long to look at it with fresh eyes so I’m eager to get your take on it. Dont give us the sugar coated version either

Do you have to live in Provo? Lol, one of my favorite small towns in northern Utah is Heber which is just north and east of Provo and is very scenic. so have a look around that town. Theirs so much potential there.

Thank you for the info! Sugarhouse definitely sounds like a place we would enjoy walking around for a bit.

Okay, so far (from a completely small sample size and general knowledge) opinion I have of Utah, here is my “visitors” impression of the State/area(s), I’ll give a better opinion after I have lived there for a few months.

I really enjoy northern Utah! Northern is my favorite, southern isn’t really my thing. I have been to St. George and Moab multiple times, I love visiting Moab but St. George on the other hand has cool rock formations but is far from what I really like scenery wise. I like mountains, and I guess living in Arizona for too long has kinda killed the desert for me.

I love the proximity to the mountains. If I could change one thing about Denver, it would to make the city closer to them.

Salt Lake is my favorite city in Utah, but I would like to know more about the city because after doing Temple Square a few times it gets a bit old.

Provo isn’t really my favorite, but it’s where the job is and as an urbanist I would like to limit my commute as much as possible. Plus despite the Orem/Provo area having 500+ people, it has a very small town vibe to it (of course this is subject to change after being there for a bit)

I have never actually been to Ogden... but....... I will say this, from rumors I have heard from multiple sources, it is the town to avoid, people tend to use the word “gangs” a lot when associated with that city. Is this correct or just a gross misrepresentation?

Salt Lake, IMO, has so much potential. In a lot of ways it almost feels like a clean slate; and I do feel it’s time in limelight is nearing. I understand state politics and culture has held Salt Lake back in a lot of ways... and I’m a fully active Mormon, but I feel we need to create cities that cater to everyone and not to just one group. I don’t understand why people think they need to be so conservative just because they are religious. There are many progressive ideologies that don’t conflict with religion and I don’t think we should halt other people’s rights. I do believe however that the culture is turning and Salt Lake will finally become the dominant city in the state, and not just the largest by a few thousand people.

That’s my two cents at the moment. Sorry for the long post

[Denvergotback]

Oh and I completely agree with Heber, I have been there twice and it is far and away the most beautiful place I have been to in Utah. I will definitely be spending some summer weekends there

[RC14]

Welcome to the Wasatch Front Denvergotback!

Ogden has actually become an interesting city. It's not my style but I think you would like it.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Denvergotback

Looks like I will be relocating to Salt Lake next weekend! (Well, Provo....but close enough!) it’s a bit bittersweet but from the looks of it there is a lot of exciting things going on! I’m excited to follow the area much more closely!

One question I do have though, where is Sugar House? From the sounds of it, it sounds like it has much potential!

I’m not looking to live that far, but it does sound like a cool place to check out with my wife.

Where are you coming to us from?

Sugar House is a south/east portion of salt lake. It kind of overlaps the border between Salt Lake and South Salt Lake. Its a very nice up and coming area, but also pretty expensive.

[bob rulz]

I wouldn't listen to anybody who says that Ogden is "overrun with gangs". Utahns really seem to think that any place that's even a little bit seedy is a horrible slum. Most of them have never seen a real run down neighborhood in their life. The only place in Utah that deserved that reputation was the Pioneer Park/western downtown area of Salt Lake City, but it's been cleaned up a lot in the last couple of years.

Also Ogden is definitely turning around. It has a very small but very interesting downtown and there's been a lot of development. Some areas are run-down, sure, but it's not as if you have to fear for your life going there. It's certainly not as vibrant as Salt Lake City, but because of its compactness, all the best stuff is really in a very small area. Also as it was the only major city in Utah not developed by Mormons, it definitely has a different vibe going on.

One thing I will say about Utah is that even though violent crimes are among the lowest in the country, property crimes are a real problem, although I don't know if it's as big of an issue in Provo as it is in Salt Lake City.