Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[Atlas]

I was thinking about all of that undeveloped SLC land around the airport today. I know there was a Kennecott master plan for it at some point, but that seems to have fallen through. I wonder if there are any plans for it now.

[John Martin]

Thought this might be of interest to some.



The cedar shake shingles have been replaced with brown metal & fascia. The windows, doors, and lights are also being updated, and the balconies & eaves repainted.

[ToysNoiz]

Originally Posted by John Martin

Thought this might be of interest to some.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/58958166@N05/9908685375/]

I still don't like the building, but at least now it's a bit nicer. Brick is so ugly.

[delts145]

I remember reading that they were redeveloping that East side of the Little America much closer to Main Street. So I'm guessing a lot of that construction in the photograph is actually new build, not just a remodel as some might think.

[delts145]

Looks like we're in for a lot more apartment construction in Salt Lake and surrounding Metro for the forseeable future.

Salt Lake County has 'tight' apartment vacancy rate, report says

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86558...-apartment-vacancy-rate-report-says.html

Jason Lee - Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — If you are a landlord in Salt Lake County, then you are likely enjoying a robust rental market. If you're a renter, it's a different story.

Finding a decent place to live was not all that easy last year and has become a bit more expensive this year.

A new report released by Cushman & Wakefield Commerce shows that the vacancy rate for apartments in Salt Lake County is currently just 3.9 percent, compared to a rate of 3.8 percent last year.

However, rental rates climbed 4.4 percent over the past year with the combined average monthly rental rate for all types of apartment units rising to $850.

The report surveyed rental and vacancy information on mid-size to large apartment communities in Salt Lake County, which comprise approximately 370 apartment communities ranging from 25 units to 588 units.

The market remains very “tight” despite the development of new units, said Kip Paul, executive director of investment sales for Cushman & Wakefield Commerce. Vacancy rates for studio, one- and two-bedroom one-bath units declined over the past year while vacancy rates for two-bedroom, two-bath and three-bedroom units increased slightly, he added.

The report showed that all types of apartment units experienced increases in average rental rates...

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by ToysNoiz

I still don't like the building, but at least now it's a bit nicer. Brick is so ugly.

They ought to paint those balconies darker, like bronze or something. The white is garish.

[John Martin]

Originally Posted by delts145

I remember reading that they were redeveloping that East side of the Little America much closer to Main Street. So I'm guessing a lot of that construction in the photograph is actually new build, not just a remodel as some might think.

Indeed. The courtyard and gift shop / boutique area were completely gutted (as was the coffee shop, though its structure remains basically the same). Here's what it used to look like:


www.b-ct.org

[scottharding]

Article from Forbes Magazine about the Salt Lake City Comic Con, and there's a real quick mention of the convention center hotel in here. Nothing we don't already know, but good to see it in print:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappc...by-leveraging-social-marketing-trends/2/

[jimmycdii]

I don't think it's the brick that makes the building look ugly, or the balconies. I personally love brick as a building material, but I don't like this.

So, I think it's just the overall design/architecture of this building that sucks. It looks like something from the USSR. I also hate the way this hotel interacts with the street; with the sad little suburban buildings around the edge and the tower in the middle it makes the area feel small and empty and ensures that little else will ever come to this block. (By contrast, a Vancouver pedestal building is a similar idea but squished into less space and infinitely better for it.)

Originally Posted by Stenar

They ought to paint those balconies darker, like bronze or something. The white is garish.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by scottharding

Article from Forbes Magazine about the Salt Lake City Comic Con, and there's a real quick mention of the convention center hotel in here. Nothing we don't already know, but good to see it in print:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappc...by-leveraging-social-marketing-trends/2/

Ya, that was already posted in here 4 pages ago.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by Stenar

They ought to paint those balconies darker, like bronze or something. The white is garish.

Very much agree Stenar. That would be a big improvement

[delts145]

Originally Posted by Dallas Snob

While a new CCH COULD be a "Tallest", it may also not be. We just opened ours (1,000 plus rooms) in Dallas a year ago and it is only 22 stories high. While the original design was for a higher, smaller footprint...the final was for a shorter, larger footprint building. In my humble opinion, A shorter hotel would not look that good on the SLC skyline as it would look like a giant wall.

Hmm...Ya know, if the long portion of the hotel ran East/West along the north side of 2nd So., and the street engagement were far more creative and engaging than the Dallas portion pictured, this could work well for Salt Lake. At 22 stories and running east/west, the wall effect could be mitigated if creatively designed. Even so, I prefer a taller leaner tower like we have here in L.A.

Another possibility would be the creation of twin towers. Two shorter towers, but not a massive singular wall.



http://www.khss.com
Downtown Dallas Hotel Near the Dallas Convention Center

The Omni Dallas Hotel, in the center of the revitalized downtown Dallas, is connected via sky bridge to the Dallas Convention Center and close to restaurants, shops, entertainment and more! Following our grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony with Larry Hagman and Linda Grey from the former Dallas television show, the hotel opened its doors showcasing richly appointed guest rooms, a contemporary reflective glass exterior and innovative guest amenities. Owned by the City of Dallas, the hotel features 1,001 guest rooms, including 67 luxury suites and three presidential suites. Omni Dallas Hotel is built to meet the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Certification standards, placing it on the forefront of environmental awareness and conservation in the city.

The 110,000 square feet of meeting space is infused with the history and style of Dallas. Each of the 39 meeting rooms, including two ballrooms, are named after area points of interest in the city and feature the work of local artists. Dining at the hotel consists of Bob's Steak & Chop House, the innovative farm-to-market 3-meal-a-day restaurant Texas Spice, the Owner's Box that's a state-of the art interactive sports bar and Omni's gourmet coffee shop, Morsel's. Collections, the lobby gift shop, provides one-of-a-kind selection of local art and retailers for the convenience of guests. The hotel includes a full-service Mokara Spa, rooftop terrace pool deck and a spacious fitness center with stunning views of downtown.


Ultimately IMO, I think Downtown Salt Lake would benefit far more from a similar design set-up as with the new Convention Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. You have a shorter and taller tower. Especially if the Hotel ends up being a Marriott/Ritz Co-op. I think that with CCC, etc, and the very upscale direction of the immediate area, Salt Lake is more than primed for a boutique Ritz. Definitely more than the area surrounding L.A's Convention Center.

Approximately 200-300 suites could be of the Ritz Brand, which would accomodate those convention executives, planners, comic con stars, etc. The remaining bulk would be attractive, but more along the room size and appointment of a business/commerical class J.W. Marriott.


http://archstorage.com

[delts145]

The more I think about it the more I'm inclined to believe Salt Lake should go for a dual tower set-up like L.A.'s

[Future Mayor]

I think I agree with you on that Delts. Two towers, maybe one at around 15-20 and the other around 25-30. One above the convention space running N/S along 200 W, and the taller one running E/W along 200 S. With a skybridge across 200 W into the N/S section of the Expo Hall, connecting to the main lobby area. That might be sort of cool to have a walkway with windows at the top of the expo hall leading from the hotel to the SP lobby.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

I think I agree with you on that Delts. Two towers, maybe one at around 15-20 and the other around 25-30. One above the convention space running N/S along 200 W, and the taller one running E/W along 200 S. With a skybridge across 200 W into the N/S section of the Expo Hall, connecting to the main lobby area. That might be sort of cool to have a walkway with windows at the top of the expo hall leading from the hotel to the SP lobby.

I think I remember hearing awhile back that TWO hotel companies were looking into developing these CCH. One would be around 1000 rooms and the other would be a little smaller. Not sure if that's still the case or if it were just rumors, but we could be looking at at least two hotel towers either way.

[Makid]

About a year or so ago, there were 2 developers that were wanting to build Convention Hotels. Each in a different location.

If this does get passed, there is a chance that we will see 2 towers. We will definitely see 1 large hotel of at least 1000 rooms. Now, if the bill doesn't limit the hotel to a single development, I do think there are good odds of a second being built around the same time as the first.

[EPdesign]

I say go big or go home. Build something like in the China version of Las Vegas....the all so awesome....Hotel and Casino Grand Lisboa. Heck. if you have your own version of the Venetian and Wynn, build something that stands out.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Makid

About a year or so ago, there were 2 developers that were wanting to build Convention Hotels. Each in a different location.

If this does get passed, there is a chance that we will see 2 towers. We will definitely see 1 large hotel of at least 1000 rooms. Now, if the bill doesn't limit the hotel to a single development, I do think there are good odds of a second being built around the same time as the first.

Sorry but that just can't happen. As I've said prior, the tax incentives aren't to help build the hotel rooms, the incentives are to help the developer build the convention center portion of the new hotel.

If a tax incentive mechanism does get approved, through the City, County or State it won't go towards hotels in multiple locations, it will go toward the developer that will be building their hotel as part of an expanded Salt Palace.

I wouldn't be surprised to see another large hotel be built very close to the Salt Palace, after the convention hotel is built, or even near the same time. This could occur because an expanded convention center will mean larger conventions and more demand. However it won't have tax incentives given to it. This to me is the case when the Plaza site would be ideal.

As much as I am in favor of using tax incentives to expand that Salt Palace as part of a large hotel I would be fully against tax incentives going towards a 2nd hotel. That is simply unethical, not allowing the free market to work properly, and completely unfair to existing hotels that were built without tax incentives.

[Stenar]

Another interesting fact about the Dallas convention center hotel is that it is owned by the city of Dallas.

Originally Posted by Dallas Snob

While a new CCH COULD be a "Tallest", it may also not be. We just opened ours (1,000 plus rooms) in Dallas a year ago and it is only 22 stories high. While the original design was for a higher, smaller footprint...the final was for a shorter, larger footprint building. In my humble opinion, A shorter hotel would not look that good on the SLC skyline as it would look like a giant wall.

[arkhitektor]

Originally Posted by EPdesign

I say go big or go home. Build something like in the China version of Las Vegas....the all so awesome....Hotel and Casino Grand Lisboa. Heck. if you have your own version of the Venetian and Wynn, build something that stands out.

OMG, please don't let it be anything like the Grand Lisboa... arguably the ugliest tall building in the world: