Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[jedikermit]

And at the other end of things...this was in the newspaper this morning--possible redevelopment between 200-300 South and State Street.

Salt Lake City mulls State St. housing for poor

By Doug Smeath
Deseret Morning News
The city wants to make sure State Street redevelopment doesn't wipe out low-income and transitional housing downtown.
Preparations are under way for renovation of the area between 200 South and 300 South on State, and part of the discussion by the city's Redevelopment Agency is what to do with three hotel buildings, known as single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels, that the city owns there.
Those hotels — the Salt Lake Blue, the Cambridge and the Regis — provide housing for low-income residents. Some of the hotel rooms are transitional housing units run by a nonprofit group to help specific populations, such as homeless adults.
Salt Lake Blue closed in 2005 because of its poor condition. The RDA currently offers about 120 rooms in the Cambridge and Regis.
The City Council, which acts as the RDA's board of directors, on Thursday discussed four possible options for ensuring that type of housing is still available once the redevelopment gets going.
The first option would be for the RDA to buy an existing hotel in the city and convert it into low-income housing. That would allow for a relatively quick changeover so the State Street work could begin sooner, but it would also mean the RDA would spend money it would unlikely recoup. It would also depend on the availability of such hotels to buy.
The second option would be to require the developer of the State Street block to include single-room occupancy housing in its new development. But RDA staff worry the cost of that option might scare away some potential developers.
"Would we even get any nibbles?" Councilman Dave Buhler asked. RDA staff said they have heard from a few developers who would be open to the idea.
Buhler made a motion that the city put out a request for bids based on this option to see what kind of response it receives, while keeping the other options open. It was approved unanimously.
A third option would be for the RDA to buy land in the city and build new SRO housing. Under that option, the RDA would have greater control over the time frame, location and design. But it would likely be the most expensive option and would be dependent on the ability of the city to find reasonably priced land close to services like transit.
The fourth option would be a phased-in replacement of SRO units, finding a new location — either in an existing building or a new one — for about 70 to 90 units so residents can begin to be relocated and the State Street work can begin sooner. The remaining units would be worked out later.
Mayor Rocky Anderson suggested the city might be able to offer residents loans to help them transition into their new housing, an idea Councilman Van Turner praised.
But Councilwoman Nancy Saxton said that while she acknowledges the hotels will one day be replaced by new development, the residents she knows who live there do not share the council's opinions that the buildings are too run-down.
"They don't want to live anywhere else," she said. "It's their home. They've lived there for a long, long time."
The city has yet to choose a developer for the State Street work.

[delts145]

Fashion Place is located in Murray, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Average household income for the primary trade area is in excess of $70,000. Known as The Best City in America, Murray has a thorough mix of retail shopping facilities headed by Fashion Place, Utah’s busiest shopping destination.

The Salt Lake Metropolitan Area has consistently topped national charts as the best place to live and do business. Well-situated at the hub of I-215 and I-15 freeways as well as one of many TRAX transit stops, Fashion Place is the ground zero of the Salt Lake Metropolitan Area for convenient access to the many parks, restaurants, theaters and sporting venues located throughout the Salt Lake valley.




Mall plans include new 150,000 square feet

By Jenifer K. Nii
Deseret Morning News
Fashion Place Mall confirmed Monday that it is planning a significant expansion, tentatively expected to be complete in 2009.
Few details were available about the project Monday, according to Fashion Place spokeswoman Tamara DeMilt.
"At this point, we're still fine-tuning the redevelopment plans," DeMilt said. "We don't have a picture or a site plan available."
DeMilt said the 150,000-square-foot expansion will include shops and restaurants. No information was available regarding the cost of the expansion, potential new tenants or the project's start date.
And while the expansion could include an outdoor component, DeMilt said the mall will not become "another Gateway."
The only firm announcement regarding the project came Monday from Nordstrom, which said it will open a new two-level store at the mall. The 140,000-square-foot store, which is in addition to the 150,000-square-foot overall Fashion Place expansion, is expected to open in spring 2009.
That target date coincides with what Fashion Place hopes will be the completion of its entire project, DeMilt said.
"We don't have an exact time line, but yes, that is the intent," she said. "Nordstrom is the first step in this process. Securing Nordstrom allows us to develop our plans further. This is the starting point for us now."
The news about Fashion Place was included in a larger agreement between Nordstrom and General Growth Properties Inc. — which owns the Murray mall — to open three new Nordstrom stores in Ohio, Missouri and Delaware, relocate the Fashion Place store and renovate the Nordstrom location at Montclair Plaza in Montclair, Calif.
Monday's announcement is also the latest in a string of mall renovations planned along the Wasatch Front — all announced or started within the last year — including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' City Creek development, Trolley Square, South Towne Center, Valley Fair Mall and expansions ongoing at The Gateway.
Nordstrom opened its current Fashion Place store in 1981, and that store will continue to serve customers until the new store is complete, said Nordstrom spokeswoman Brooke White.
"Typically, in this situation, we'll close one day and move all the merchandise overnight, and open the next day in the new location," White said. "We've done this a fair amount of times."
The new store will be 30,000 square feet larger than the current Fashion Place store, but White said it "will feel a lot bigger than that."
"Because of the way we build stores today, we're able to commit more space to selling space," White said. "So it will feel a lot bigger."
The new store is set to be built just north of the current store, on what is now a parking lot.
"We are excited about it," White said. "We have talked about the importance of having a mall be a great destination, where you've got a compelling reason why customers would choose to visit a mall. We can't function alone. So we think it's terrific for Murray and for Fashion Place to have this significant renovation."
As for the broader expansion, DeMilt said, there will be structural changes to the mall, though information about the impact to tenants and parking wasn't available Monday.
"The existing mall will still exist," DeMilt said. "This is an expansion."
More information on the project will be released as it becomes available, she said.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[leebuddy]

Another Mall project. I think it should all be outdoors as a mix used like gateway or midtown village.

[delts145]

Leebuddy,

It'll probably be a combination, indoor/outdoor. You know, for the longest time I have thought that property needs a 500 room hotel. I'll bet this will be announced soon. It make's alot of sense because of it's location next to I-15 and I-215,and of course it's view spot and proximity to the Cottonwood Canyon's. That Fashion Place development could serve as a great lifestyle/ski-base for the Cottonwood's.

[delts145]

The barricades are up and demolition has begun on the largest construction project in Utah history. What will this mean to downtown, the capitol city and the entire state?

Article from: The New Ledger/November,2006
By Brenda Fisher, Freelance Writer




Seattle has Pike Place Market. San Antonio has Riverwalk. In Denver, the 16th Street Mall gathers tourists and residents alike. Most large cities have their social center--a spot to meet for dinner or catch movie or play-- places that are family friendly but sophisticated enough for adults to enjoy.

Salt Lake City will soon have its own such place, a thriving twenty-plus-block area designed to bring people together. Spearheaded by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Alliance, Downtown Rising is a regional project that will turn the area around Main Street and South Temple into a thriving, multi-cultural oasis.

With a projected completion date in 2011, the plans include new residential buildings like the Metro Apartments, more shopping including a grocery store, a 21-story high-rise office building and more parks and bike paths.

Since the August announcement that construction was to begin soon, there has been a lot of talk about this project and how its completion will benefit the entire state. According to Natalie Gochnour, the Chamber’s vice president of policy & communications, mayors from across Utah have endorsed the project: “It’s a coming together of people who understand the importance of a thriving city,” Gochnour says. “Our goal is to have a unified, business-led regional effort. Utah only has one primary downtown area and by making it more of a regional project, the whole state will thrive.”

But what happens between now and then? Demolition of Crossroads and ZCMI Malls begins right after Christmas and construction will continue for half a decade. Most residents seem eager to see the project go ahead.

“I’m very excited about this,” said Heather Mihalek, a downtown resident for more than six years. “I’m looking forward to having shopping and a grocery store close to where I live and go to school.”

Curtis Bennett, vice president of retail operations for the O.C. Tanner jewelry store agrees. “I love the project; no two ways about it!” he said. “It is fantastic for retailers and residents. It is the dream demographic situation.”

Likewise, Gochnour reports mostly positive feedback from the public at the Downtown Rising website. Of course, growing pains are unavoidable; with nearly 60,000 people visiting downtown for work, school and fun each day, there will be headaches. But most are dealing with it like the discomfort that accompanies necessary surgery. Bennett, for one, says he believes his company will take the coming mess in stride. The firm, a Main Street icon for decades, has survived past construction projects and will do so again. “We are trying to make the transition for our customers as painless as possible,” he said. “We are offering valet parking and special events to bring customers in.”

While anchor retailers Nordstrom’s and Macy’s announced they would close their existing stores and reopen in the new malls, the remaining businesses banded together to form a co-op. Bennett said they did this for two reasons; first, to reassure their customers they are still open for business and will remain open during construction and, second, to show support for the project and its long term benefits.

Along with the construction, there are other concerns for the residents.

“I am concerned about the transportation. I don’t have a car so I rely on the buses and train,” Mihalek said. “If the trains aren’t running or they reroute the buses, that’s a big problem for me.”

Gochnour said that they’ve already thought about those issues and are working to make sure there is as little disruption as possible. “We asked ourselves, how is it going to affect the bus routes? How will it affect the traffic flow?”

There is also the issue of the historic buildings that are going to be torn down. The First Security Building and the Inn at Temple Square will be some of the first casualties in the new building plan. Mihalek said she was reluctant to see the structures lost. “It’s too bad they can’t renovate those buildings and keep the history. It seems like people would pay big bucks to buy a condo at the Inn at Temple Square building.”

The new City Creek Center and a revitalized Main Street are designed to become Salt Lake City’s great gathering place. If the current enthusiasm from local businesses and residents is any indication of the level of excitement this facelift will engender, Salt Lake City will soon add a whole new page to its community history and downtown will take its place among the world’s famous metropolitan gathering places.

[delts145]

This Is The Place Heritage Park is the home of Old Deseret Village, a living community that has been painstakingly recreated to represent Utah's past. In 1847, one of history's most intriguing sagas began as eighty thousand pioneers traveled thousands of miles to settle the unforgiving Utah desert.

We celebrate this pioneering spirit at This is the Place Heritage Park, home to a living history attraction representative of a Utah settlement from 1847-1869. Escape the Present - Momentarily escape the busy pace of this century and join our world. Here you will find that a neighborly visit replaces email; the breathtaking view is not blocked by high rises but framed by quaint log cabins; and where simple pioneer dresses and bonnets are the fashion trend. We're certain you won't miss the 21st century. Start your visit at This is the Place Monument, which commemorates the location where the pioneers entered the valley and honors all settlers of Utah.






Article from: The New Ledger
Park operators hopeful, residents doubtful
November 2006


This Is The Place Heritage Park has been a Salt Lake icon for two generations. Many changes have taken place, more are planned--will those changes be positives for the Park and the community?

By Brenda Fisher, Freelance Reporter



The scene for the town meeting at This Is the Place Heritage Park on Wednesday, 1 November, looked like something out of a Halloween tale. The streets of Old Deseret Village were pitch black, except for small hurricane lamps that ran up the length of the street. Pumpkins sat atop hay bales near the entrance, reminding visitors of the season and a cold wind that blew down from Emigration Canyon stirred the leaves and snapped the flags to attention. But just inside the gates, Smoot Hall stood as a beacon, welcoming those who support the park.

Residents, park volunteers and even a scout troop packed Smoot Hall to hear from officials of This Is The Place Heritage Foundation, which operates the state-owned park. Foundation officers described their plans for the future of the Park and meeting attendees had the opportunity to voice their opinions or concerns about the Foundation’s ideas. Plans include building an events center, leasing a portion of the Park to ARUP Labs in nearby Research Park and working with Hogle Zoo to alleviate some of their parking problems.

City Councilman Dave Buhler opened the meeting introducing the four-person panel, which included Senator Karen Hale, This Is the Place Heritage Foundation Chairman Ellis Ivory and park director, Matt Dahl. After brief remarks by the panel, Buhler opened the meeting for audience comments.

About one-quarter of the approximately 60 attendees voiced opinions. The discussions were mostly positive and most residents echoed the same ideas--keep open space, don’t lease any park land, don’t build a huge building that takes away from the natural beauty.

“I was glad that we had the chance to attend the meeting,” said resident Janet Gleave. “It was very obvious the audience shared a similar view about selling part of the park and building new structures. It was clear they [the Foundation] didn’t have support from the audience. It’s unthinkable to sell part of the park to Research Park.”

But according to Lori Walker, a volunteer for over eight years, there has to be something done.

“I can see that people care about the open space and the park, but they don’t see what it takes to maintain it. It’s a wonderful place to work, but it can be hard,” she said. “Sometimes during demonstrations we don’t have the stuff we need and there’s not really anyone to go get it.”

There was also concern voiced about building an event center. Ellis Ivory, a developer by trade, talked about the benefits of both the lease and the events center and explained how these plans would help to bring in much-needed revenue. According to Ivory, after the building is complete, an additional $800,000 annually would be generated from the lease and the special events center that could be used to keep up with the maintenance and park operations.

There was talk from the residents and the panel about commercializing the park. Ideas like corporate sponsorship of buildings and more food vendors and gift shops were met with mostly favorable responses; however, most residents were concerned with such a plan going too far.

“Some commercialism would be good,” Walker said. “But I don’t want the park to turn into Frontierland at Disneyland.”

Accessibility is another challenge. Although the park is built on a hillside, which may make it more difficult for visitors to get around, it’s impractical to rely on horses and wagons to transport people up and down the hills in the park,” according to Dahl.

One suggestion involved trains to transport visitors around the park. Dahl said that trains aren’t historically accurate, but they are part of Utah’s history and could represent the meeting of the two trains at Promontory Point. Dahl talked about the park’s goals and what their new plans hope to accomplish, including a longer season and more special events, one of which would be an additional Christmas event next year.

This year, the annual Candlelight Christmas will be held on December 8, 9, 15 & 16 and will feature carolers strolling the village streets and vendors selling roasted chestnuts. With advance reservations, visitors can enjoy soup in bread bowls at the Huntsman Hotel.

“What makes this special is the wonderful venue,” Dahl said. “It’s an evening event and all the light comes from fire light and candles. It’s a great place to relax and escape the hustle of the season.”

[Viperlord]

Looks like we are stuck with this idiot one more time around, but we were so close....

Recounts on in 2 races

Curtis, Walker each won his seat by less than 20 votes

By Josh Loftin and Leigh Dethman
Deseret Morning News
Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, will have one fewer Republican in his caucus during the 2007 Legislature, provided Curtis survives an election recount.
Greg Curtis After counting provisional and by-mail absentee ballots and having the vote canvass approved by the Salt Lake County Council, Curtis officially defeated Democratic challenger Jay Seegmiller by 19 votes, it was learned Tuesday. That final result was closer than the tallies following Election Day, when Curtis led by 46 votes.
While Democrats likely missed a golden opportunity to take out one of the most powerful Republicans in the state, the minority party in the Legislature did keep another one of its incumbents when Rep. Carl Duckworth, D-Magna, defeated challenger Deena Ely. Duckworth had trailed by 25 votes before the additional ballots were counted but ended up winning by 33 votes, a total large enough to avoid a recount.
"I've always been hopeful, never given up," Duckworth said Tuesday evening. "We ended the (election) night behind, and it was scary to wait."
There will be one other recount, however, as Rep. Mark Walker, R-Sandy, only won by 18 votes over challenger Laura Black.
To qualify for a recount, the margin of victory must be less than one vote per precinct. The losing candidate has seven days to request the recount, although both Seegmiller and Black said they planned to request one.
Curtis and Walker were both confident about their chances of surviving a recount, since there is historically little change in the vote totals following recounts.
"The recount is not nearly as ominous as the outstanding ballots," Curtis said, noting he was "surprised" that Seegmiller made up that much ground in the additional ballots.
Part of his concern stemmed from the fact that the Board of Canvassers, which is made up of members of the Salt Lake County Council, was including ballots that were mailed in and lacked sufficiently dated postmarks.
Seegmiller said his success in the race was helped by a dissatisfaction with Curtis in the district, especially his involvement with bringing the Real Salt Lake stadium to Sandy and his previous employment as former Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman's staff attorney.
"Greg has had some baggage in the past," Seegmiller said. "I can only assume there were people voting against him."
Like Curtis, Walker said the hardest part was waiting for the additional ballots to be counted. He was much more optimistic about the recount.
"It's like having a zit on your nose," he said about the two-week wait for final results. "You know it's there, but there's nothing you can do about it."
Black said little, only that she "could have been 18 votes better."
With Duckworth's victory and barring any change following the recounts, the Democrats will now have 20 representatives, up from the 19 they had the past two years. They are still below the 25 needed to keep the Republicans, who now have 55 members, from having a veto-proof majority.


I'd say....

Seegmiller said his success in the race was helped by a dissatisfaction with Curtis in the district, especially his involvement with bringing the Real Salt Lake stadium to Sandy and his previous employment as former Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman's staff attorney.

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by delts145

With a projected completion date in 2011, the plans include new residential buildings like the Metro Apartments, more shopping including a grocery store, a 21-story high-rise office building and more parks and bike paths.

what is this 21 story high rise? this whole article was about city creek, so what is this?

[Viperlord]

hamilton partners tower.... 222 south main

[wrendog]

i assumed it was HP, but i was thrown off cause it was referring to City Creek.. oh well

[delts145]

Developer plans to restore decrepit Tooele hotel

By Jared Page
Deseret Morning News
TOOELE — On a late afternoon in "Newtown" Tooele, the corner of Broadway Avenue and Date Street is quiet.


Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Restoration of the former Hotel Tooele in "Newtown" is part of developer's plans for a Broadway makeover.

Few motorists pass through the intersection and, by choice or perhaps out of habit, even fewer glance in the direction of the vacant, red-brick building on the northwest corner. Most of the three-story building's windows have been broken out or boarded up, and vandals have scattered graffiti across its walls.
Even on a street lined with unoccupied, neglected and vandalized structures, the former Hotel Tooele building stands out as the most rundown among them.


But Kevin Peterson, a Salt Lake City-based developer, has seen pictures of the 95-year-old building in its heyday, when the Hotel Tooele, he said, "was the showplace of the area." Through his company, Capitol Management LLC, he wants to restore the building, as the first step in the renovation of Newtown Tooele.
"I've been involved in a number of projects like this," he said. "They all start out looking like disasters. You've got to see the potential."
For the past two years, Peterson has been acquiring property and making plans for a Broadway Avenue makeover. Those plans recently got a boost when the Tooele City Council created a community development area (CDA) for the project, allowing the city to use future tax revenue as funding.
The estimated $7.7 million development and restoration project, which Peterson is calling the Broadway Heritage Apartments, will bring 56 units of affordable housing to the area, along with retail and office space.
The city's financial commitment is minimal: It will pay for the sidewalks, curbs, gutters and street lights. The city also has agreed to be the pass-through organization for a $4 million bond to help the developer fund the project, said Scott Wardle, Tooele city councilman.
Peterson also will use proceeds from from federal low-income-housing tax credits and state historic-preservation tax credits to fund the project.
The project "is going to be great for the city," said Doug Redmond, Tooele's economic-development specialist. "Hopefully, it sparks more interest in that area and leads to more development."
It's also an opportunity to redevelop a historical part of Tooele that Wardle says is desperate need of attention. According to the city's Web site (www.tooelecity.org), the eastern section of Tooele known as Newtown was built in the early 1900s by immigrants from Italy, Greece and other European countries who settled there to work at the International Smelting and Refining Co.
"(Broadway Avenue) really was the old Main Street," Wardle said. "To have that come back to life is going to be a great benefit to citizens throughout our community."
Plans call for the exterior of the Hotel Tooele building to be restored to its look of the early 1900s. On the inside, retail and office space will occupy the ground floor, with 20 one- and two-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors.
A new three-story apartment building with 21 units will be built on a vacant lot just to the west of the Hotel Tooele building.
Hometown Grocery, on the corner of Broadway Avenue and Elm Street, also is scheduled for restoration. Plans also call for a 15-unit apartment complex to be built west of the store.
All of the housing will be priced to accommodate individuals or families at 60 percent or below the state's median income, Peterson said. Over the past 12 months, Utah's median income for a family of four was $58,000 — 60 percent of which is $34,800.
Peterson said he hopes to have all of the financing in place by April 2007 and begin construction in the summer.


Deseret Morning News ArchivesThe Hotel Tooele stands at Broadway Avenue and Date Street shortly after it was built in 1911.

[delts145]

Schoolhouse


Courthouse


new housing


Apartment housing


Apartment housing/Pretty obvious which group of immigrants built this. Italiani!

[dewaalnuts]

okay,
since no one else will ask for predictions I guess I will,
Between the years of 2007 and 2011, how many cranes does everybody think will be seen in the SLC skyline and how many cranes on the city creek development alone?
Just want to see what everybody thinks.

[leebuddy]

Originally Posted by dewaalnuts

okay,
since no one else will ask for predictions I guess I will,
Between the years of 2007 and 2011, how many cranes does everybody think will be seen in the SLC skyline and how many cranes on the city creek development alone?
Just want to see what everybody thinks.

There's going to be alot of cranes. Let's see..................222 south main will have one next year we hope.
As for city creek there on the north end of town there will be tons. Where the Inn is now there will be at least one since a 26-story condo tower will go there. As for the 8-10 story condo buildings on south temple there could be a few there as well. Now since the two blocks will have a underground parking there would have to be a few tall cranes around those two blocks. Maybe one for each coner.
Salt Lake will be crane city for the next few years.
Plus if the south end of downtown gets a few new towers then there be even more cranes around 400 south and state street next to where the Blue metro crane is right now.
Plus the court house on main and 400 south will have a crane but not til 2009 or later.
Then there's the west side where the gateway is. V gateway will soon breakground on it's five story building. Not tall, but maybe a smaller crane will be there. Then there's the north end of gateway if Boyer Co. Builts more office towers up to 8-stories on that north end parking lot there could be two or three cranes there also.
Then if the metro park breaks ground soon on it's 8-story condo tower a crane will be there near pioneer park. As well as the broadways lofls getting built right now on 400 south and around 300 west if think. That's a 7-8-story building that will have a crane i bet.
Then there's the east side of town where trolly sq. is with it's project soon to start i bet there could a at least one or two cranes there. With a 7-story condo building could go with it as well so add another crane to that.
Wow. Just alot of projects going on.
Even South Salt Lake with it's planned project on Main and 2100 south is planning on building some new buildings some up to 11-stories so add a few cranes to that project.
It's not how many cranes that could go up, but is there enough cranes to go all around with everything that is going on?

[delts145]

Business Web site praises the state's family friendly factors

By Jenifer K. Nii
Deseret Morning News
Utah's metropolitan areas dominated a new survey of top locales for women entrepreneurs, according to a report by AllBusiness.com.
AllBusiness.com, a California-based business Web site, commissioned a survey of nearly 700 business executives — including 287 women — at small- to medium-sized businesses, asking them to rank various attributes by importance.
It then looked at the federal government's list of 379 metropolitan areas, with a close eye toward three main factors: indicators of economic growth and business incubation, and a third area, which looked for areas with low crime rates, low property tax rates, high household income, modest real estate prices, rapid population growth and pedestrian-friendliness. Those factors were chosen and weighted because female respondents ranked them of particular importance.
Based on those factors, AllBusiness found that four of the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas for women entrepreneurs are in Utah, including Provo-Orem, St. George, Ogden-Clearfield and Logan.
"I'm not surprised," said Erica Whittlinger, member and Salt Lake City Chapter facilitator of the Women Presidents' Organization. "I think the results of the survey are just a testimony to the wonderful quality of life we have here in Utah, and to see so many of our major areas included is wonderful. We've really blanketed the whole state."
Whittlinger said the survey's emphasis on certain "family-friendly" factors — low crime rates, for example, and pedestrian-friendliness — perhaps does reflect a difference in women's approach to business ownership and may have swung the results in Utah's favor.
"I think part of it is that clearly these sorts of factors, I think women may think of them more as business issues than men do," Whittlinger said. "In general, they are more family-friendly values.
"But the cities on this list, they just look like great places to live. I think many of them would rank very high on any lists of quality of life factors. I don't know if it's the nice areas that encourage women to become entrepreneurs, or if women entrepreneurs pick these areas. I think it's a little bit of both."
Beth Colosimo, a WPO member and owner of Wasatch Home, a home furnishing store in Draper, opened her business 21 months ago because she wanted to have a career on her own terms. After 20 decades toiling in "Corporate America," Colosimo said she wanted to assert some control: over time spent with her family, her career path trajectory, her destiny.
"I did the whole 'climb the corporate ladder' thing and realized that at the end of the day, I was pretty much just a W-2 earner," Colosimo said. "My life was being dictated to me."
Two years ago, she had no experience in furniture sales or upholstering. She didn't immediately find support in the community, mentors she could look to. But she was determined. She believed she'd identified a market niche she could fill and the skills to fill it.
"But make no mistake, a start-up business is definitely no picnic," she said. "It's a tremendous amount of work. I wouldn't say there's a lot of infrastructure or support for women business owners that I've found. But it has been very rewarding.
"It's been great that I'm at home at night, and that I can pick my kids up from school or attend a sporting event they're in, without answering to anyone but me. It's been a blast to conceive a new concept and see it come to fruition, to have a viable business that people talk about, come to and a product they're pleased with."
Soon, Wasatch Home will expand to a newer, larger building at the Draper Peaks shopping complex.
"I'll say this: A lot of people talk about wanting to be their own boss," Colosimo said. "Fewer actually do it. But if you've got a good concept and a good business plan, and you're willing to put the time and work into it, there's no reason you won't succeed. And then, at the end of the day, you're controlling your own future instead of the Ivory Tower. And that's pretty amazing."
AllBusiness.com also looked at metropolitan areas of varying sizes, and Utah cities fared equally well.
Among cities or metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more, AllBusiness.com's top 10 locales are: Raleigh-Cary; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria; Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick; Denver-Aurora, Colo.; Salt Lake City; Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, Calif.; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn./Wis.; Boise City-Nampa, Idaho; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.; and San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif.
Among medium-sized metropolitan areas (those with populations of 175,000 to 500,000) AllBusiness.com's top areas for women entrepreneurs are: Provo-Orem; Ogden-Clearfield; Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.; Boulder, Colo.; Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Fla.; Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark./Mo.; Naples-Marco Island, Fla.; Huntsville, Ala.; Charlottesville, Va.; Durham, N.C.
And the top among small metros (50,000 to 175,000) are: St. George; Logan; Morgantown, W.Va.; Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Va.; Winchester, Va./W.Va.; Iowa City, Iowa; Columbia, Mo.; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Dubuque, Iowa; Jacksonville, N.C.; and Santa Fe, N.M.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[delts145]

Quote:
Maybe we need to start threads for every city in Idaho that is experiencing fast growth like the forumers south of the state border do.

After all Idaho is one of the fastest growing states, usually more so than the state south of the border. Lets see, we can have completely different threads for each of the following cities: Nampa, Caldwell, Rexburg, Twin Falls, McCall, Sandpoint, Sun Valley/Ketchum, Driggs, Kellogg, Moscow, Lewiston, Burley, Blackfoot, and even Pocatello......
We already have threads for CD'A and I.F.

naw--- just joking.


Other than Nampa and little ol' Caldwell are any of the above mentioned cities a part of Metro Boise? I don't think so. Maybe a couple of these jokers knows something we don't. I would hope that if Nampa or Caldwell had dozen's of project's in the works totaling billions of dollars like the metro northern and southern Wasatch they would say something. Hey Park City,Ogden,Layton,Lehi,Draper,West Valley,Alpine,Pleasant Grove,Provo and a few dozen other cities which make up the Wasatch Metro, "all of you are no different than Sandpoint, Idaho". I mean isn't Sandpoint or Rexburg a part of Metro Boise? So Sandpoint should have a thread like Utah Valley or Ogden/Clearfield.

Perhaps Cottonwood is forgetting to tell us all about their winning NBA team. Hey, we along the Wasatch, The Front Range or Metro Phoenix don't want to be all alone. Maybe we should just nix that NBA thread.
Hey, and who do we think we are? Just because the Wasatch, (metro resorts) are adding world class developments at a break-neck pace, totaling hundred's of millions, "that doesn't make them worthy of a thread." The same for you Phoenix! What makes you think your local phoenicians might be interested in what is being developed in metro Glendale/West Valley or Tempe? I mean, how smug of you!! Just because those areas are adding world class development totaling billions doesn't mean they should be given any notice or, God forbid,"THEY'RE OWN THREAD". Hey, this is a development forum,and surely there isn't any worthy development going on in Tempe? So what if metro,Phoenix or the metro,Wasatch Front have several large urban hubs such as Tempe,Provo/Orem or Glendale/West Valley and Ogden/Clearfield and are contributing huge amounts of development as stand-alone communities. We should all just focus on one project in downtown Phoenix or Salt Lake. Oh and it can't be a multi billion dollar project. Just one block with one tower

[delts145]

Capitol Theatre

The Capitol Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City was completed in 1913 and began as the Orpheum Theatre, housing up to 2,000 seats. Capitalization of the project came from the Walker Estate in Salt Lake City. G. Albert Lansburgh, a 36-year-old San Francisco architect, designed the building, whose structure was significant for introducing innovative architectural features in theatre construction. Vaudeville took center stage in the theatre, and movies provided a sideline. The theatre was sold in 1927 to Louis Marcus, a much respected mayor of Salt Lake City and Utah movie pioneer, and when the theatre raised its curtain on September 29, 1927, it had a new name. The Orpheum was now the Capitol Theatre. The "all-talking" picture was introduced to the Capitol Theatre in 1929 and, after another facelift in 1947, movies continued to be the main attraction.

In December 1975, Salt Lake County residents passed an $8.6 million bond to renovate the Capitol Theatre into a performing arts center as part of the Bicentennial Celebration. On October 18, 1978, the curtain at the Capitol Theatre rose again, ushering in a new era of performing arts in Salt Lake City. Since its re-opening, the Capitol Theatre has continued the tradition of exceptional theatre, dance, opera and music. Today, Ballet West and the Utah Opera Company call the theatre home.








Salt Lake City has many cultural draws which give it a strong hand when competing to attract major business along the Wasatch Front. One of Salt Lake's Ace's would be it's spectacular Capitol Theatre and World renowned Ballet Company. Recently, much work has been set in motion to help Ballet West maintain it's prestigious status.


Ballet West to put studio downtown

By Leigh Dethman
Deseret Morning News
Ballet West's school and rehearsal space will be moving downtown.
The Salt Lake County Council recently approved a $3.6 million contract to buy land adjacent to the Capitol Theatre, at 52 W. 200 South, with the aim of building a studio for Ballet West. The company had also been considering land in Sugar House on Wilmington Avenue (at about 2200 South and 1250 East) for building offices, studios, costume storage and a warehouse. But now, Ballet West dancers will be able to practice right next to the theater where they perform.
"The ballet's home should be downtown," said Phil Jordan, the county's director of the Center for the Arts.
With the addition of the new studio, the county will also renovate the Capitol Theatre.
The county plans to improve theater seating and sight lines and to expand the lobby and restrooms, Jordan said. The theater also needs some work to make it more accessible for disabled patrons.
Jordan anticipates construction on the studio to begin in about a year. Renovation of the Capitol Theatre, however, will take longer, since "the show must go on," Jordan said. Construction work will move slowly to accommodate the theater's performance schedule.
As part of the deal, the county will own two vacant restaurants on 200 South and also the building housing Benihana and the Blue Iguana. Both eateries would remain open after construction, however, with the county serving as landlord.
But county leaders don't want to be in the restaurant business, and will likely sell the Benihana and Blue Iguana property to another buyer to pay off part of the land purchase, said Darrin Casper, the county's chief financial officer.
The County Council's decision Tuesday could be the first step toward a downtown cultural arts district, several council members said. The idea is gaining momentum among local leaders, who paid for a study in which consultants said that downtown could support more arts venues with more frequent performances.
"This is going to be a wonderful addition to the county and downtown Salt Lake," Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said of the new home for Ballet West and the Capitol Theatre renovation.
Ballet West first approached the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency six years ago about the 2.1-acre site in Sugar House. Since then, the ballet company had been raising money and lining up plans for 120,000 square feet of building on the site.
The company raised $12 million in a capital campaign and needs about $8 million more. Donors who committed to the Sugar House site were happy to switch money over to a general campaign that may eventually include the downtown site, Dalton said.
The Capitol Theatre site would not have as much space as Sugar House, but Ballet West would not have to move and could contribute to an eventual arts and cultural district downtown, said Jessica Dalton, a Ballet West spokeswoman.
The city's RDA is considering chipping in some funding for the Ballet West project, but not for the land purchase, said Dave Oka, the city's RDA director. The board will likely discuss the issue at it's next meeting.



About Ballet West

Ballet West ranks among the premier professional ballet companies in the United States. With 35 dancers, the company strives to bring new levels of excellence to ballet through innovative choreography, and to present balanced programs that represent a wide range of ballet styles and viewpoints


The Nutcracker December 8-30, 2006
Music by P.I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography by Willam FChristensen

Ballet West officially begins the holiday season December 8 with the opening of its most popular production, The Nutcracker. For more than a century, the magical story of young Clara and her nutcracker-turned-prince has delighted both the young and the young at heart. Based on the fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffman and set to Tchaikovsky’s cherished score, The Nutcracker is a classic ballet that has become one of Utah’s and America’s favorite holiday traditions.


The Sleeping Beauty February 9, 10, 14-17, 2007
Music by P.I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography by Marius Petipa
A commemoration of true love, this timeless classic comes alive on the Capitol Theatre stage. Let the artists of Ballet West take you through the enduring story of a sleeping princess, a handsome prince, and the triumph of good over evil. Brought to life in the artistry of the Ballet West dancers and set to Tchaikovsky’s stirring score, this performance will add a touch of romance to your Valentine’s season.


Giselle April 13, 14, 18-21, 2007
Music by Adolphe Adam
Choreography by Jonas Kåge, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot

Featuring an unforgettable story of love and madness that has endured for more than 100 years, Giselle has rightfully earned its place as a masterpiece of romantic ballet. Follow in the footsteps of the Ballet West artists as they portray Giselle’s world of passion, duplicity and the saving power of love.



An Evening of Ballets May 25, 26, May 30- June 2, 2007
Carmina Burana
Music by Carl Orf
Choreography by John Butler

Le Corsaire Pas De Deux
Music by Riccardo Drigo
Choreography by Marius Petipa

Vespri
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Choreography by Andre Prokovsky

Enjoy the return of three popular pieces that have not graced the Capitol Theatre stage in more than a decade – André Prokovsky’s Vespri, Marius Petipa’s Le Corsaire Pas de Deux, and John Butler’s masterful Carmina Burana

[leebuddy]

During these past few weeks while driving on the freeway i notice there is alot going on right now in Sandy City near the city hall area just east of the I-15. Looks like there are a few new business building getting built. Some of them up to 6-stories.

All of these projects are between I-15,state street, 9400 south and 10000 south, all within blcoks of the city hall building.

I'm not even sure what these buildings are called. But this looks to be phase III since the 3rd tower is now getting built. You can see the other two towers behind it. These buildings are 6-stories and have it's own two-three level parking right behind them. Not bad for Sandy. These buildings are just north of the city hall building.



Here's that same building again this time looking west. We can better see the parking levels from this view.



Then just across the street from those three towers is a field with a least sign on it saying "4 new offices towers" This is just east of the I-15. Looks like four new towers will go here with a totol space of 500,000 sq. feet. Not bad. I bet those towers could be about 6-7 stories. There's going to be alot of 6-stories office towers in that area.



But wait there's more?........................

Another office building getting built near 9400 south just north of where those other towers i was just talking around. Yes all these building projects just yards aways from one another. This one is 5-stories.



Right on 10000 south ground is getting broken for some kind of a building project, but not really sure what's going in this field yet. this is just west of the post office. next to the freeway. Could be another office building or maybe a hotel.



Speaking of hotel again on 10000 south just arcoss the street from that pic above there is a three-story Residence Inn Marriott. But to it's west a new Hotel is getting built. I think it's part of that same hotel and it could just be a expanison of the Marriott.


Other projects in the works is the Real stadium. Ground was broken back last summer but not sure if any work is getting done right now.

But still there's alot of things happening to sandy city right now. So not bad for Sandy city.

So next time anyone is driving down I-15 in sandy just take a moment look to the east where the city hall building is and your see all those projects i just listed in the works. Just make sure you don't take your eyes off the road for too long since there's alot to see. LOL

[jedikermit]

The LDS Church has announced the groundbreaking for a new temple in South Jordan (11400 South and Bangerter Highway)...the groundbreaking will be on Saturday, December 16th. I haven't seen any architectural renderings of it yet, but they should be available by December 16th. It's a stunning location on top of a bluff overlooking the valley--hope they do something good with it.

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/cgi-bin/pages.cgi?south_jordan&announced

[leebuddy]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

The LDS Church has announced the groundbreaking for a new temple in South Jordan (11400 South and Bangerter Highway)...the groundbreaking will be on Saturday, December 16th. I haven't seen any architectural renderings of it yet, but they should be available by December 16th. It's a stunning location on top of a bluff overlooking the valley--hope they do something good with it.

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/cgi-bin/pages.cgi?south_jordan&announced

This is great news. is it going to be called the south jordan temple since south jordan already has a temple on 1300 west near 10400 south? But it's called the Jordan River temple, but alot of people call it the south jordan temple.
The new temple will be in the daybreak area, still in south jordan. Two south jordan temples. I think they should call the new temple daybreak temple not south jordan temple. To have two temples in one city both have the name jordan in it "South jordan temple" and Jordan River temple" people could get the two mixed up.