SALT LAKE CITY | Development Thread

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by delts145

You continue to amaze me Future Mayor. I love the way you think.

Well I am pretty amazing, and I keep telling myself and my professors that I am a genious. For some reason they don't fully believe me.

Welcome to the thread Tangled, we look forward to your insight. I will respect your comments as long as they agree with me and not UrbanBoy. I'm totally kidding. UrbanBoy has great inspiration, ideas and insight and challenges my own thinking, as do others. I hope I provide the same for him and others. This truly is a great think tank for development ideas.

BTW, people, my first project isn't going to happen and thus funding has halted on that but I am formulating additional ideas. However I am considering sticking around out here for the remainder of the year rather than heading to the 801 in June. I am also considering some planning positions in the NW. So someone needs to pull some strings and get me some contact info for planning directors or private developers. It's going to be hard for me to develop in SLC and run for Mayor if I'm a planner in the NW.

[SLC Projects]

I'm really starting to like the 337 project. First I thought it was crazy, now I think it will be a one of a kind project that could turn into a landmark.

[DENrising]

Originally Posted by delts145

SLCrising, are you aware of any of the current bullet trains being operated by an electrified third rail? Perhaps Japan or Europe? I would be curious to know. The Japanese bullet trains are amazing!

No not really, for some reason they seem to use overhead. There are a few new examples of trains using the maglev technology, it basically floats and glides along the track. These are supposed to achieve really high speeds.

[TANGELD_SLC]

Thanks for the welcome
So.... do you guys (and gal) think that it would be too late for someone to maybe convince the CCC developers to put some greenspace on the roofs? I think that it would be cool to have up there be a park or something, like on the Main Library.

[TANGELD_SLC]

Originally Posted by SLCrising

No not really, for some reason they seem to use overhead. There are a few new examples of trains using the maglev technology, it basically floats and glides along the track. These are supposed to achieve really high speeds.

Hey check out this wiki article on the Maglev trains.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_train

It says that Maglev(Magnetic levitation) trains can reach speeds up to 600MPH!!! That's as fast as a commercial Jetliner!!!
Oooo I wish someone would convert Trax over to maglev now...

[delts145]

wikipedia

Thanks Tangeld, very interesting info. So, I'm wondering how we would elevate something like that in a way that would use the I-80 right-of-way, and not be too distracting from the beautiful surroundings. Hey, I mean I-80 is already in place, so I think something could be worked out. Also, I'm wondering at what level the population would have to grow to in the Snyderville Basin, and I would imagine also Heber Valley. I would think we're talking an extension into Heber too, right. Of course,this isn't only a matter of permanent resident's, but also the massive amount of tourism that would use this method of transport. Perhaps that huge tourist dollar that this train could generate, would make it viable sooner than later.

[delts145]

Salt Lake City Metro - Sandy Unveils Big Plans for 106th

Curtain goes up on Sandy project

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...r&promoID=1986


Rendering shows proposed Proscenium development. (BTS Investments)


Plans for the Proscenium development include high-rise buildings, shopping and a Broadway-style theater in Sandy. The city is hosting an open house tonbight from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sandy City Hall. (BTS Investments)

[delts145]

Utah high-tech industry surges as the sector takes center stage - Third highest percentage growth in nation

By Tom Harvey
The Salt Lake Tribune

The job growth rate in the high-tech industry in Utah has surged to the third-highest percentage in the country, according to a report being released today.
Utah's 6.4 percent rate trailed only New Mexico's 15.5 percent and South Caro- lina's 8.3 percent from 2005 to 2006, the latest figures available, according to the report by the American Electronics Association.
"Cyberstates 2008" points to the growing importance in Utah of electronics and information-technology companies that over the past few decades have greatly diversified the state's economy beyond its former dependence on natural resource-based companies, said Jack Brittain, vice president of technology venture development at the University of Utah.
"But what's happened in the last few years is we've really caught fire," Brittain said.
Utah also ranked 14th among states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico for the number of high-tech workers per 1,000 private-sector jobs, indicating that sector's importance to the state's economy.
"Utah has a very vibrant sector in terms of job growth. This is the third straight year you've seen growth," said Josh James, senior research manager for the American Electronics Association, a technology industry trade group.
California had the biggest number of high-tech jobs in 2006, followed by Texas, with Utah weighing in at 26th, or 45,377 workers. But California and Texas were first and second in the July 1, 2007, Census Bureau population estimates, while Utah was 34th. Comparing Utah's 26th ranking in high-tech jobs to its 34th spot by population again points to the sector's importance to the state.
Utah also ranks 26th in the number of companies (4,172) in that industry.
"If you convert it to a per-capita basis, then we're off the charts," said Richard Nelson, president and CEO of the Utah Technology Council, a technology industry trade group.
Utah's average high-tech wage in 2006 was $58,681, compared with $34,727 in the state's entire private business sector, or 69 percent more.
But other American Electronics Association figures were troubling for Utah, particularly in comparing wages nationwide.
The state ranked 37th in average high-tech wages, and wages actually dropped $1,035 from 2005 to 2006, or 1.73 percent, in numbers adjusted for inflation.
James said it appears the decline came in the software sector but he couldn't point to a reason why, speculating it might have something to do with the loss of stock options.
In general, though, the software sector is robust in Utah, James said, its 321 companies ranking 12th-highest in the study.
"It's actually a pretty big industry in Utah," he said.
Brittain and Nelson said the tech industry's health has helped Utah's economy continue to perform well, even as the national economy has gone into a skid.
But Nelson said the industry's strength also has led to a shortage of high-tech workers in Utah.
"Our critical need is attracting and holding sufficiently qualified talent to fill our wealth of available high-paying jobs," he said.
Brittain also said the state's robust economy creates challenges because of the rising cost of living and in managing growth.
"We don't want to turn into a gridlocked San Jose," he said. "The lifestyle has been ruined there."

.

[delts145]

Wait for FrontRunner nearly at an end

http://davisclipper.com/default.asp?...rtoday&he=.com


FRONTRUNNER trains should be rolling through Davis by April 26.

.

[DENrising]

Originally Posted by delts145

Wait for FrontRunner nearly at an end

http://davisclipper.com/default.asp?...rtoday&he=.com


FRONTRUNNER trains should be rolling through Davis by April 26.

.

Yeah, Free rides when it opens for a few days, starting April 26, I have it on my calendar to take a trip up to Ogden. I haven't seen an official schedule on rideUTA yet, but never fear, you guys on the forum get a peak at a draft schedule that has been released and I have it here. Half hour frequency M-F with a 50 minute one way trip!

http://cid-ad7dfd305c57d287.skydrive...erschedule.pdf

[delts145]

Salt Lake City - Another TRAX Line Project Gains Momentum


Utah Transit Authority

Originally Posted by stevena07

Becker makes big push to speed up streetcar project

By Brandon Loomis
The Salt Lake Tribune

The groundwork for returning passenger rail to Sugar House is getting under way this spring.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, who stood on the abandoned Sugar House rail line during his campaign and pledged to hurry the project, said he's looking for ways to fund the city's share of a study before he presents his budget to the City Council next month. The Utah Transit Authority expects that study to take eight months and cost $300,000, split three ways among the city, South Salt Lake and the transit agency.
Then there's the question of where to get nearly $40 million to build the streetcar system linking to TRAX light rail at 2100 South.
Becker expects that the local governments may have to chip in a larger share than they've traditionally put toward transit if they want construction to start before currently planned TRAX extensions are done in 2015.
"We'll certainly be looking for federal money, but we'll also be looking for ways to fund this project to the extent necessary. I'm assuming there will be a fair amount of local money," Becker said.
UTA conducted a preliminary study over the winter and picked streetcars - not light rail or higher-riding historic trolleys - as the best option.
Streetcars ride on rails but move more slowly than TRAX, maxing out at 25 mph, and make more neighborhood stops. The study predicted a streetcar line would cost $37 million, slightly more than a TRAX extension, and would serve 2,300 daily riders.
Streetcars make sense for Sugar House because of its mix of neighborhood services, homes and planned residential clusters, the mayor said. It's perfect for a more-casual ride.
"This will be the first time - going back to the future, almost - that we will have a streetcar in Utah since we abandoned streetcars in the '40s and '50s," Becker said.
Some in the neighborhood say they're counting on improved access, but want to make sure it's done right. At SugarHouse Barbeque on 700 East, owner Bill Smithers said he worries about losing the parking that currently extends across the old tracks.
But he hopes customers will get used to riding the rails to dinner.
"I'm all for it," he said. "It's something we have to think about for the future because gas is getting expensive."
Still, he wants to meet with city officials to see whether they can do anything to offset the inconvenience, at least during construction. "You come here on a Friday lunch and there's cars everywhere," he said. "We pack the place."
Sugar House resident Melissa Lichtenstein said she's eager to see Utah's transit web grow, though she's not sure whether this thread will lure her out of her car for trips to downtown Salt Lake City.
She used to ride the bus downtown, but ever since TRAX opened in 1999 the Sugar House bus routes have suffered, she said.
Downtown errands that would take 45 minutes by car can't take three hours by transit, she said, "and for me that's been the reality."
"I'm excited to see our mass transit expanding, and I'm hoping as it expands it becomes more accessible and user-friendly," Lichtenstein said.
[email protected]



Im so excited! yay

*Just a note on the printing of a Salt Lake Tribune article instead of just providing the link. Many forumers have been frustrated when returning to a particular article by the Tribune a few weeks later, only to find it has been taken off-line by the paper. Tribune articles, but not Des. News articles will simply go off-line after several weeks. So, if a Trib. article is something you think you will want to refer back to for future reference, then go a head and print the entire article on the compilations thread. For most of the other daily's it isn't necessary, and you can just post the link if you want.
.

[delts145]

Salt Lake City - Announcing Silver Fox Condominiums - 3035 S. State St.



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SILVER FOX CONDOMINIUMS will consist of two, 6-story residential buildings. There will be 70 total condominium residences built directly in the heart of Salt Lake Valley at 3035 South State Street. Phase I will consist of 35 units along with 4 retail units on the ground floor. Phase II will consist of an additional 35 residential units.

SILVER FOX CONDOMINIUMS stands out as a landmark development for Utah, applying responsible and innovative community development practices in response to the growing active adult community along the Wasatch Front. Ideally located, SILVER FOX CONDOMINIUMS will create a true walking community; it will combine for its residents a luxurious living environment, free from any outdoor maintenance or upkeep and will provide every imaginable modern convenience literally within footsteps of your front door.

It is anticipated that construction is due to start February of 2008 with units ready to move into the middle part of 2008. A sales office will be available on sight in October of 2007. Please come by for more information.

Floor Plans
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The philosophy of SILVER FOX CONDOMINIUMS is to create an unparalleled living environment for each homeowner. Careful attention to detail, functional design, and quality construction were painstakingly considered during the individual unit design process.

Each suite and penthouse will feature unique design elements, building location, views and square footages. Every homeowner will enjoy a spacious, single-level open floor plan including high-end standard appointments, ADA certified accommodations, and private deck and patio.

Trade Your House
Selling a home that you have lived in for many years can appear to be daunting and quite challenging. Have you ever had any of these concerns when it comes to selling your house?

Some things in your home may not work quite right
There may be some differed maintenance that you have just never gotten around to fixing
You may not like the idea of 1,000 realtors traipsing through your home at all hours of the day and night
You may have thought of selling your home but don't want to be pressured into to moving on someone else's timetable?
Perhaps everything in your home works, but is just dated and needs to be updated before it can be sold
Perhaps the yard work is getting to be too much to keep up
Perhaps you don't like the idea of selling your home and having to pay 6% commission to real estate agents. For some homes, commissions alone could be $40,000+
If you have ever had any of these concerns or questions we have the solution!

This is a unique opportunity that will be offered to the first 30 applicants of the SILVER FOX CONDOMIUM PROJECT. We will literally TRADE YOUR HOUSE FOR OUR HOME! In other words, we will trade your home's equity, in whatever condition it is in, for one of our brand new SILVER FOX CONDOS and apply the equity directly to the price of the condo!

This is how the program would work. For example, if your home is worth $350,000 and you only owe $100,000, you have $250,000 in equity. Now for instance, if you are interested in Unit B Floor 4 or 5 (worth $250,000), we would then simply trade your house for a brand new home! You would walk into your new SILVER FOX home owing nothing! In addition we offer complete convenience in the form of moving you for free. Once an agreement is reached, we will move you into SILVER FOX CONDOMINIUMS free of charge on your time schedule. We will take your home completely "as is" no need to worry about fixing that sink that has dripped for 10 years or that leak in the back bedroom, we will take care of everything.

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On the other hand, if your home only has a small amount of equity, no problem. A trade can be made on your house for a new home. The equity would still go toward a substantial down payment on your new home. Since this facility is certified to do reverse mortgages and other retirement type financing, you could walk into your condo and still never have to make a mortgage payment!

.

[urbanboy]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

Welcome to the thread Tangled, we look forward to your insight. I will respect your comments as long as they agree with me and not UrbanBoy. I'm totally kidding. UrbanBoy has great inspiration, ideas and insight and challenges my own thinking, as do others. I hope I provide the same for him and others. This truly is a great think tank for development ideas.

You crack me up Future Mayor, and yes, you also bring great insight and challenge my thinking too.

Welcome TANGELD SLC!

[DENrising]

This is the shipping container building. I heard the existing vacant building on this lot is being torn down on Saturday morning. Might be worth checking out if you're in the area.

http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_8742585

Here is the site, and the artsy-fartsy grafitti filled building that is now being demolished to make room.



I am looking forward to its construction, as I will be able to see it from my work window, I promise to take lots of pics when it goes up.

[delts145]

Salt Lake City Metro - The Proscenium Project



Deseret Morning News

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

Well, I'm nervous about posting anything related to Sandy after the past few days on the forum, but here goes:

I think that it is inevitable that Sandy is going to grow and the best I can hope for is that they will do so in a better manner than seems to be their present course. Here is a little map I threw together of the area that is becoming Sandy's CBD:



The yellow line and purple box on the left are the Frontrunner tracks and anticipated station at 10200 S. The yellow line on the right is the current TRAX alignment and future extension to Draper beyond the current station at 10000 S.

The area in blue is the outline of the recent proscenium development. The areas in green are unused land.

I've added the red line as a streetcar to connect Frontrunner at 10200S to TRAX at 10000S via "downtown Sandy" and Southetowne mall.

I'm all for density, but why try and squeeze 3 large towers onto the small footprint in blue that is the current Proscenium proposal? One of the towers looks like it would have no access from any street whatsoever. I would rather see them spread towers to some of the other empty land in the area and allow other stuff to fill in between them naturally, creating a more viable, densified area.



Lastly, whether Proscenium and a theater happen in Sandy in any form, I think it unlikely that Sandy will ever trump DT SLC as the main regional center. The following map is of DT at the same scale as the map of Sandy at the beginning of my post. Compare the two and what each has to offer:



Downtown Salt Lake is going to continue to grow, and so is Sandy. Here's hoping that each will do so responsibly and that the two can somehow coexist.

Arkhitektor

[TANGELD_SLC]

I think that the Proscenium development would go really nice at 1300 south 3rd west... Where Schmidt Signs currently scars the corner along with wal-mart and lowes. It is high time for some decent devolpment in that area.

[delts145]

Tangeld, As you've probably seen over on the local thread, a lot of forumers are pretty upset that Sandy is as agressive as it is right now. I strongly believe that Salt Lake's downtown will continue it's exciting pace of development, especially under it's current leadership. While I would like to see the Proscenium towers downtown instead of Sandy, I do think that downtown will continue to lead the way, and that we'll see many more exciting developments between 21st South and 600 north over the next decade.

[ski_steve]

I just happened to have my camera with me yesterday thought I would take a few pictures of some things


The University of Utah Medical Center expansion

This is the rendering for it



Here is a pic of construction as of yesterday, from the campus shuttle



The windows of the bus are kinda dirty



The Marriott Library from a distance, the crane is now gone and it will be completed in the Summer


Rendering


Rendering




A new humanities building in the center of campus- Carolyn Tanner Irish Humanities Building




Facing south


Rendering



Here is a new Geology building under construction- Frederick Albert Sutton Geology Building



Here are some pics from the campus shuttle facing downtown

[delts145]

Thanks Steve for the great pics on the U.of U. It's amazing how many projects are currently underway up there.

[delts145]

Just a thought Steve. Will the Tanner building have some sort of beautiful water feature? Any project the Tanners are involved with seems to always include a very cool fountain or water feature.