Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[EPdesign]

I’m for either or. They can rescue the theater or demolition it. But if it’s going to sit there another 30 years, get rid of it.

[Utah_Dave]

Not sure what we are trying to save here with the theater. The outside isn’t of much value and never seemed to be of much value from the beginning. It’s more of an entrance and corridor from what I have seen. The structure I’m sure is in need of a ton of work if you are going to invest tens of millions of dollars to save an interior that is basically gutted already. Sure, the Main Street tower can be built elsewhere but the same is true for the theater that is basically starting from scratch given its current state of disrepair and structural deficiencies. I would not be for tax dollars to save this theater as I view it as a money pit with very little in return on investment for the community. Donations and private funding only.

[SaltCityScrapers]

They could restore the Hotel Newhouse at the same time. It's in about the same condition as the Pantages.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by SaltCityScrapers

They could restore the Hotel Newhouse at the same time. It's in about the same condition as the Pantages.

Well that’s a load of bullshit. There’s much to be saved. The most impressive and difficult parts to replicate are still intact. It’s way way way less expensive to restore than to start over from scratch, like you would have to in the case of the Hotel Newhouse, currently a parking lot.

[Dallas Snob]

When posting or responding to posts in regards to the Pantages Theatre, please refrain from inflamatory statements or verbiage. Above all, please be respectful. Phrases such as "thats bullshit", or outright being dismissive are not helpful to healthy dialogue. It's easy to dismiss each other, but much more difficult to state FACTS. Let's try stating or posting facts instead of unicorns and rainbows. NO ONE will sway ANYONES opinion but rather allianate themselves with these kinds of posts. Thank you in advance.

[TheGeographer]

What is the revenue that the sister Pantages theatre in LA draws? How many people visit the theatre? Is it booked out for shows? LA is a much bigger city but I’d be interested to see how the restored theatre is doing there.

With that in mind, I’ve always found the Pantages theatre “Utah Theatre” front facing Main to be uninviting and uninspiring. They’d need to really do some work on the front street facing aesthetics. I never wanted to set foot in there because of the outside aesthetics. The inside does have some potential. Although as has been pointed out many times over it will be many millions of dollars in structural updates and repairs to realize that potential. If they hypothetically restore pantages will it draw enough people in? I will go where the show I want to see is. If that’s Eccles theatre I’ll go there. If pantages had a show I really wanted to see then I’d go there. With that said I’m a small sample size but even pre pandemic I was only going to the theatre once a year. I’d imagine that is true for many SLC people. Those who frequently frequent the theatre are probably on the tail end of the distribution. So we’d be relying on tourists to frequent pantages? Is SLC downtown a tourist destination like LA, or NYC, the cities compared to? I don’t think so. Utah is a ski town/outdoor destination. To many what ifs in my mind but that’s just my opinion. I’m all for historical buildings but in my opinion the pantages theatre would need to be redone from inside to out to make it look more attractive. How historical is it then if it’s completely rebuilt? There seems to be a lot of passion for this topic so I’m not trying to stir the pot. Just listing my thoughts out on the topic.

We also desperately need housing and I agree SLC needs to pull their heads out from where the sun doesn’t shine and construct more condos and property that could be purchased, not just a bunch of rentals.

[ucsbgaucho]

Originally Posted by TheGeographer

What is the revenue that the sister Pantages theatre in LA draws? How many people visit the theatre? Is it booked out for shows? LA is a much bigger city but I’d be interested to see how the restored theatre is doing there.

The Pantages in LA is the equivalent of the Eccles theater here; it's where all of the Broadway shows go. It's capacity is larger than Eccles, it has hosted the Academy Awards as well.

[Atlas]

Our Pantages doesn't have a big enough stage to host Broadway shows or other large productions because it was built for Vaudeville. It also can't be expanded because the rear of the building runs up against the Capitol Theatre. This is why the small group trying to save it wants to make it into a grand movie theater.

That said, the theatre's auditorium is in shambles except for the ceiling. The structure itself is likely compromised too. I don't doubt that the interior could be rebuilt (yes, rebuilt not restored) but I also don't think we are losing all that much if the surviving interior elements are repurposed and given a new life. This won't be the best building SLC has lost. It's not even the best theatre that SLC will have lost. Mr. Patton claims to speak for everyone in SLC but he doesn't speak for me. I want the tower. I want the pocket park.

And anyway, we are beating a dead horse here and unless an injunction is actually granted I don't think its newsworthy.

[Atlas]

To change the subject, the Pacific Yard project was recently denied at the last PC meeting.

A group of community members asked city officials to block a mixed-use development in the Granary District on Wednesday, saying its lack of setbacks wouldn’t help fix an already dire lack of greenspace in Salt Lake City’s center.

The developer said they were adding more street engagement than most projects, including attractive design elements, ground-floor retail with outdoor seating, a mid-block walkway and dozens of new trees.

But the Planning Commission agreed with a late objection from a trio of community councils and voted 5-2 to stall a mixed-use project near 700 S. 400 W. at its meeting Wednesday night.

The flare up highlighted the tensions around how the city can serve the Downtown, Ballpark and Central 9th neighborhoods, which collectively make up a bulk of the Central Community planning district, the most underserved by parks in the capital city.

“We are concerned about the precedent that would be set if this development is recommended for approval as designed,” the councils wrote in a joint letter sent to the mayor and others. “It furthers the inequality of green space and tree canopy between the East side of the city and its southern and western neighborhoods.”

It was a rare instance when a private project was caught up by a relatively mundane part of zoning code and debate around public services.

The project needed special approval because developers sought to build taller than what’s allowed outright by the area’s zoning. The code, which the developer called “antiquated” given the city’s goals for encouraging urban redevelopment, says additional height is allowed if developers keep the building 10 feet from the property line, or about 15 feet from public sidewalks.

Other city rules require that 3.3 of those 10 feet to be landscaped. It will all be private property.

I found a new, more-attactive (dusk vibes) rendering on Urban Alfandre's website too:

[Ironweed]

Originally Posted by Atlas

To change the subject, the Pacific Yard project was recently denied at the last PC meeting.

That's a shame. This is a nice looking project. The granary needs as much help as possible. They really ought to just take Fleet block and make it into a park for the open space. Greenery is a bit of a joke in Utah, isn't it? We're a desert. Make it into a Xeriscape area.

[Reeder113]

Ironweed, when you quote someone, you need to make sure there is a [/QUOTE] at the end.

[Orlando]

This isn't just about greenery, it's about lack of scale sensitivity to the immediate context.

[rockies]

I wasn't sure if this had been discussed here but I really like this project especially the courtyard. This BSL article has it a floor taller than the KTGY* website. Does anyone know anything/what the timeline is going to be for this?

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Dallas Snob

When posting or responding to posts in regards to the Pantages Theatre, please refrain from inflamatory statements or verbiage. Above all, please be respectful. Phrases such as "thats bullshit", or outright being dismissive are not helpful to healthy dialogue. It's easy to dismiss each other, but much more difficult to state FACTS. Let's try stating or posting facts instead of unicorns and rainbows. NO ONE will sway ANYONES opinion but rather allianate themselves with these kinds of posts. Thank you in advance.

The phrase was meant as intended, to dismiss a lie. It is not respectable to spread lies, and an obvious lie at that.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by ucsbgaucho

The Pantages in LA is the equivalent of the Eccles theater here; it's where all of the Broadway shows go. It's capacity is larger than Eccles, it has hosted the Academy Awards as well.

We’re talking about the Pantages in Dowtown LA aka The Warner Brother’s Theater, not the Pantages in Hollywood.

[Blah_Amazing]

BSL article: https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/latest-...long-400-south-corridor-in-the-pipeline/

Location: southwest corner of 400 South 900 East

Does anyone know the status of this project?

The Office Max is still open and I'm starting to think it must have stalled or been cancelled.

Didn't it go to the PC or something?

Thoughts?

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by TheGeographer

What is the revenue that the sister Pantages theatre in LA draws? How many people visit the theatre? Is it booked out for shows? LA is a much bigger city but I’d be interested to see how the restored theatre is doing there.

With that in mind, I’ve always found the Pantages theatre “Utah Theatre” front facing Main to be uninviting and uninspiring. They’d need to really do some work on the front street facing aesthetics. I never wanted to set foot in there because of the outside aesthetics. The inside does have some potential. Although as has been pointed out many times over it will be many millions of dollars in structural updates and repairs to realize that potential. If they hypothetically restore pantages will it draw enough people in? I will go where the show I want to see is. If that’s Eccles theatre I’ll go there. If pantages had a show I really wanted to see then I’d go there. With that said I’m a small sample size but even pre pandemic I was only going to the theatre once a year. I’d imagine that is true for many SLC people. Those who frequently frequent the theatre are probably on the tail end of the distribution. So we’d be relying on tourists to frequent pantages? Is SLC downtown a tourist destination like LA, or NYC, the cities compared to? I don’t think so. Utah is a ski town/outdoor destination. To many what ifs in my mind but that’s just my opinion. I’m all for historical buildings but in my opinion the pantages theatre would need to be redone from inside to out to make it look more attractive. How historical is it then if it’s completely rebuilt? There seems to be a lot of passion for this topic so I’m not trying to stir the pot. Just listing my thoughts out on the topic.

We also desperately need housing and I agree SLC needs to pull their heads out from where the sun doesn’t shine and construct more condos and property that could be purchased, not just a bunch of rentals.

Many City’s have different venues for different mediums of arts entertainment, requiring different sizes of stages. One venue for touring broadway shows, another venue for comedians and bands on tour, another for ballet and opera, another for modern dance companies, another for the symphony, etc. They are usually clustered in and around the same area of downtown. This allows patrons of the arts to not have to wait months for shows to clear out of a venue before they can be entertained again.

It’s also extremely helpful if the venue itself is part of the draw. Im sure the Pantages will be successful in securing enough events to sustain it. It’s also an asset, and like the Capitol Theatre, would be deserving of arts grants.

Regarding the exterior, this is the exterior proponents of the Utah Pantages Theatre would like to see restored:

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Our Pantages doesn't have a big enough stage to host Broadway shows or other large productions because it was built for Vaudeville. It also can't be expanded because the rear of the building runs up against the Capitol Theatre. This is why the small group trying to save it wants to make it into a grand movie theater.

That said, the theatre's auditorium is in shambles except for the ceiling. The structure itself is likely compromised too. I don't doubt that the interior could be rebuilt (yes, rebuilt not restored) but I also don't think we are losing all that much if the surviving interior elements are repurposed and given a new life. This won't be the best building SLC has lost. It's not even the best theatre that SLC will have lost. Mr. Patton claims to speak for everyone in SLC but he doesn't speak for me. I want the tower. I want the pocket park.

And anyway, we are beating a dead horse here and unless an injunction is actually granted I don't think its newsworthy.

I disagree. When restored the Utah Pantages Theatre will exceed the Capitol Theater in elegance, beauty, and wow factor. The Pantages was also built as a theater from the ground up, whereas the Capitol Theater auditorium was built inside an already existing shell of a building. Not to downplay the Capitol, it’s beautiful. But a restored Pantages wins this beauty contest.

[allh]

Originally Posted by Blah_Amazing

BSL article: https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/latest-...long-400-south-corridor-in-the-pipeline/

Location: southwest corner of 400 South 900 East

Does anyone know the status of this project?

The Office Max is still open and I'm starting to think it must have stalled or been cancelled.

Didn't it go to the PC or something?

Thoughts?

I think about this project everyday

[Dallas Snob]

Sorry, Old & New. Im not trying to inflame this, but youre not gaining a fan in me. Your approach just turns me off. You could most likely convince more people over if you could find a better way to convey your message. In my experience, honey wins people over more effectively than one sided abrasiveness. Im just stating the facts here, but i dont think your open to hearing it.