Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

Nice! 500s and 600s are so trashy looking between I15 and 300W. I hope another development pops up directly across the street from that. I would also like to see PCA and the other factory across from Maverik go. 600s needs a lot of work as well. I thought the city was going to make the ugly billboards on 600 come down, but I haven’t heard anything in a while... one of them literally looks like it’s about to fall over. I’m surprised the city doesn’t make them take it down for safety.

Yeah 500 and 600 South are in desperate need of some love, but I hope that this doesn't end up being just a huge wall of apartments covering the whole block.

As for the billboards, I think it has a lot to do with state laws regarding billboards. It's very hard to tear out billboards in this state. Reagan Advertising, which owns a lot of the billboards, is one of the largest donors to our state legislature.

[taboubak]

Originally Posted by Utah_Dave

If everything holds together on these projects, the next few years could be the busiest for high rise and large developments for Salt Lake City in History. Perhaps only rivaled by the City Creek Developement. Kinda hard to believe things are shaping up nicely for us.

The future really is looking bright. We could see construction on Tower 8, The Convention Center Hotel, Block 67, 370 Millennium, and Liberty Sky all start in the next year (maybe longer on 370 Millennium). This will add much needed width to our skyline, as all towers built will not be on Main St. I hope to see high rises really start to cover West Temple and State Street in the near future. Now if only someone would announce plans to build a 500-600ft tower on the Carl's Jr site then we would really have reason to get excited.

[bob rulz]

Also, City Weekly just posted an article about the old Sears site that has some info I hadn't seen before:
https://www.cityweekly.net/utah/reta...SF7kFByRDt1Eko

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by delts145

I'm assuming Old & New has a good handle on local demand, and I'm hoping he will respond to that question with some current information. I do know as I'm sure most of you also know that the new Hale and Eccles are experiencing success well beyond their most ideal projections. Also, The Capitol is having a very bright ongoing success now that it has been freed up due to Eccle's arrival, enabling it to expand it's offerings and schedules. I understand it will even be shutting down in March for additional renovation due to it's hectic demand.

My only question regarding demand as far as the major live theaters go is how The Pioneer is doing currently. I know it has a very robust schedule lined up for 2019, just not perfectly sure about the current state of ticket sales.

The Wasatch Front is considered per capita one of the more active and well attended live theater scenes in the nation.

The initial up front costs of the restoration of The Pantages has never been considered an in and out money maker. It has always been and will always be accomplished only if a major donor along with wide public support enters the equation. I think public support could be drummed up, as long as an individual or group of moneyed individuals donate heavily to the cause. The problem isn't whether there will be seating demand. The several mixed-use proposals of the overall development would more than sustain the ongoing theater once it's restored. The problem is who is willing to financially front the dream of its expensive restoration. It would have to be purely for the noble cause of giving back to the community, without any thought of profit return. Whatever the surrounding development, The Pantages must at least carry a moniker such as J Willard Marriott. I myself would like to see the Millionaire/Billionaire money donated without having to have their name in lights. I would prefer Robert Redford's name in front of Pantages, along with an associated downtown school of film, but that's just my 'in a perfect world' talking.

First I will say it would be a shame not to restore the Pantages theater. Here is a video of Tacoma’s recently restored Pantages Theater:

https://business.facebook.com/Tacoma...type=3&theater

Pantages Tacoma



https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/...221366120.html

Pantages Minneapolis

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/343892121522248554/

Pantages Salt Lake City (the largest Pantages in this style):

http://rustinjessen.com/wordpress/ut...tages-theater/


According to estimates, restoring our Pantages Theater would only be twice the cost of the Tacoma restoration, which is amazing considering the damage that was done to ours when Paramount decided to make two “piggy back” auditoriums out of one. Yet Tacoma’s was fully intact before its restoration.

As far as demand is concerned I could see our current art scene expanding to fill the Pantages whether it be a venue for Sundance films or traveling comedy acts, or more likely (if the fly were to be expanded like in my proposal), a homebase for the Utah Opera. This way each major art institution could have their own turf/homebase, but all be located downtown in (or adjacent to) Salt Lake City’s “cultural arts district” (The two blocks south of City Creek Center).ie. Abravanel Hall Is home to the Utah symphony, Capitol Theater is home to Ballet West, Rose Wagner is home to Rire Woodburry Dance Company, Pantages Theater could be home to the Utah Opera. Whereas Eccles is home to touring blockbusters from New York and London. We discussed Kingsbury and Pioneer already, but what wasn’t brought up regarding these is that they are also used as venues for University related productions.

Now the Thrust theater is a type of venue that we do not have in Salt Lake City. It is a mix between a proscenium type theater and an “in the round” type theater like Hale. I’m not sure if the plays and musicals which play inside the Guthrie theater in Minneapolis stop there as part of a tour or if they are contained to this one venue, but seeing Theater this way is very unique, and the production sets are very specific to this type of venue (I will look into this). This configuration of seats also seems like a good layout for conferences/lectures, so placing it right across the street from the Convention Center and making it available as meeting space would make the convention center an even better sell. Tying the three theaters together could also make the other two auditoriums available for meeting space as well, so if there is a schedule conflict because of some production, it’s possible one of the other two auditoriums will be available for use.

[DenverInfill]

Originally Posted by airhero

https://ballotpedia.org/Analysis_of_...largest_cities

I stumbled across this breakdown of citywide budgets of the 100 largest cities in the United States. Salt Lake City isn't on this list because it's not one of the 100 most populated cities in the US. Yet...if SLC was added to this list it would rank as the 32nd largest city budget (1.28 billion dollars) in the US, despite being 116th in population. That means Salt Lake's budget is higher than the cities of Las Vegas (1.08B) and Minneapolis (1.2B) and comparable to those of Cleveland (1.47B) and Denver (1.49B). I look at some of the impressive public projects in those cities and wonder--why does Salt Lake not measure up in that respect with the kind of budget it has?

Another statistic--spending per capita would place it at 6th behind only Washington DC, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Long Beach.

It is tough to do an apples-to-apples comparison of city budgets because each city has a different way of funding different things. Denver's $1.49B is just the General Fund, which doesn't include capital expenditures, special funds, enterprise funds like the airport, etc. Altogether, the city of Denver's 2019 budget is $3.617B.

[airhero]

Originally Posted by DenverInfill

It is tough to do an apples-to-apples comparison of city budgets because each city has a different way of funding different things. Denver's $1.49B is just the General Fund, which doesn't include capital expenditures, special funds, enterprise funds like the airport, etc. Altogether, the city of Denver's 2019 budget is $3.617B.

Oh I see. Well, never mind then. Salt Lake's general fund is only 300 million.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by taboubak

The future really is looking bright. We could see construction on Tower 8, The Convention Center Hotel, Block 67, 370 Millennium, and Liberty Sky all start in the next year (maybe longer on 370 Millennium). This will add much needed width to our skyline, as all towers built will not be on Main St. I hope to see high rises really start to cover West Temple and State Street in the near future. Now if only someone would announce plans to build a 500-600ft tower on the Carl's Jr site then we would really have reason to get excited.

Also, to include the 17 story 255 s. State RDA project. State Street is going to feel much more urban. If we could just get the Carl's Jr. Site developed.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by bob rulz

Also, City Weekly just posted an article about the old Sears site that has some info I hadn't seen before:
https://www.cityweekly.net/utah/reta...SF7kFByRDt1Eko

There's some info about Food Alley progress:

The first phase of "Food Alley," a diverse collection of 17 locally owned restaurants, artists' lofts and a year-round farmers market that'll be located just south of the old Sears building, is slated to be finished later this year. The second phase, which includes building new additions on the property's east side that will house the 20-foot "micro restaurants," should be completed before spring 2020, Nguyen says. "The whole idea of the Food Alley is to be able to get as many different cuisines and cultures represented from all around the world as possible."

[SLCLvr]

[QUOTE=Orlando;8482093]There's some info about Food Alley progress:

The City Weekly article says that Food Alley is south of the Sears building but this old Building Salt Lake article outlines a site that is east of the Sears building. https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/con...-state-street/

[Stenar]

[QUOTE=SLCLvr;8482139]

Originally Posted by Orlando

There's some info about Food Alley progress:

The City Weekly article says that Food Alley is south of the Sears building but this old Building Salt Lake article outlines a site that is east of the Sears building. https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/con...-state-street/

Correct. As usual, City Weekly has no idea what they’re talking about.

[Always Sunny in SLC]

[QUOTE=Stenar;8482236]

Originally Posted by SLCLvr

Correct. As usual, City Weekly has no idea what they’re talking about.

They maybe inaccurate, but at least they got some quality quotes from people at Big Deluxe Tattoo about using Sears for their pooping adventures. Nothing says hard hitting journalism like quotes on poop and using Sears to buy new underwear if you didn't make it to the bathroom. Pulitzer Prize stuff.

[Orlando]

I just hope that the owners actually have the ability to deliver what is shown in those renderings. That would be so cool. Like Portland or Austin cool.

[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by Stenar

They maybe inaccurate, but at least they got some quality quotes from people at Big Deluxe Tattoo about using Sears for their pooping adventures. Nothing says hard hitting journalism like quotes on poop and using Sears to buy new underwear if you didn't make it to the bathroom. Pulitzer Prize stuff.

Without a doubt that is the most vital part of this story.

Originally Posted by Orlando

I just hope that the owners actually have the ability to deliver what is shown in those renderings. That would be so cool. Like Portland or Austin cool.

Are you talking about the Food Alley?

[meman]

Some possible news on tower 8:

I was talking to a Oklund construction worker this morning on the staging site for Tower 8 and He told me he wasnt sure but thought the excavation for Tower 8 would begin the middle or late next month.

[Stenar]

I saw this commercial filmed in SLC on TV earlier (or rather a shorter 30-second version of it). It makes SLC look pretty cool and urban.

• Video Link

[nushiof]

There appear to be several pink spray painted markings on the ground of the Liberty Sky lot.

Prep work for excavation?

[delts145]

Originally Posted by Liberty Wellsian

Building tall is expensive.

You either need some big egos or a good damn reason to do it (geography most often).

I think we are getting there on both fronts. We are running out of space, blowing past our highway capacity, and have been absorbing a lot of new wealth. I think big things are coming and when it happens it is going to snowball.

Calm before the storm

I hope what we're seeing these past couple of weeks is foreshadowing your prediction.

[Orlando]

Does anyone know the status of these projects?

Embassy Suites on 600 south and 300 West.


Marmalade

[Marvland]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Does anyone know the status of these projects?

Embassy Suites on 600 south and 300 West.


Marmalade

Great questions. Embassy is an important chip on the 600 S. entry to the city. Sick of looking at weeds there. Marmalade is clearly clogged up for some reason. Paperbox and Marmalade were soft balled (er, "RFP'd") to Clearwater ages ago and crickets. That site is cursed. We are at 20 years now (!!). The RDA has had a really tough time getting its larger scale projects rolling. It has excelled at the smaller scale neighborhood stuff though, see Central Ninth, Jefferson Corner, Alinea, C9 market, spy hop. I really think they need to either break these larger pipe dreams up or sell them. Same thing only worse in Station Center/Gateway. That entire arm of the city is rotting while they get yet another masterplan "visioning process" going. I think we are on our 6th visioning down there?

The city needs to get out of the way and let these things develop themselves. I've been advocating that exact approach for some time at city hall. We've had a few wins. We'll see. To be clear, the RDA is populated by people who really get it and love our city. When allowed to do their job they do amazing things. That has been my experience top to bottom. The problem is the political structure of the RDA where the City Council is the board. So deals get bifurcated, blended up and run into design/develop by committee. And that committee gets churned up every election cycle with a new set of agendas and pet projects. The bigger the project, the worse the effect. It really kills deal flow because the larger projects are by their very nature multi-year processes

[Liberty Wellsian]

Originally Posted by delts145

I hope what we're seeing these past couple of weeks is foreshadowing your prediction.

I hope the economy holds long enough for these projects to secure financing. I feel like SLC development never starts to get serious until right before the bubble bursts. We need developers with the vision to be agressive earlier in the cycle.