Salt Lake:Official development news thread

[delts145]

Hey Jedi and SLC, weren't you guys just saying that Sandy made you mad because they were stealing too many highrises from downtown. Maybe this is a good thing,"bringing the Sandy city planner to downtown Salt Lake."

By Doug Smeath
Deseret Morning News


George Shaw

As Salt Lake City embarks on a handful of major development projects, a new planning director is ready to take the helm.
George Shaw Mayor Rocky Anderson announced Wednesday that Sandy Planning Director George Shaw will fill the spot left by Alex Ikefuna, who resigned Oct. 30 after 15 months with the city to spend more time with an infant daughter, who has undergone heart surgery.
Shaw has been Sandy's planning director since 1984 and has worked for Sandy since the 1970s. He is an assistant adjunct professor at the University of Utah, where he teaches a planning methods course.
"George is very well regarded among the planning community and at the University of Utah," Anderson said. "He's a big believer in smart, sustainable-growth planning."
Shaw's salary will be $91,000 yearly, plus benefits. He is set to start Jan. 17.
Shaw takes the reins at a time when the city is about to see a number of projects get under way. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently unveiled its plans for a major overhaul of two downtown malls to make way for a new mixed-use development.
Master-planning work has begun for the city's northwest quadrant, the large undeveloped area west of the Salt Lake International Airport. A new office tower is being built at 222 S. Main, and the Utah Transit Authority is preparing to expand its light-rail system to a new intermodal hub at 200 South and 600 West.
"It's a new challenge. I've been here (in Sandy) a long time. I think Sandy's well on its way to becoming the community they want to become," Shaw said. "It's an exciting time in Salt Lake City right now with all the new plans."
Shaw lives in South Jordan. He was born in Murray and spent his teenage years in Provo. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in geographic planning. He has a master's degree in urban geography, also from BYU.
Shaw's colleagues praise his work over the past three decades in Sandy as wide-ranging and forward-thinking.
Nick Duerksen, Sandy's assistant director of community development, said Shaw led Sandy through its residential boom in the '70s, during which time it was the fastest-growing city in the nation, to today, as the city focuses more on commercial and office development.
"You name it in Sandy, he's had a role in it," Duerksen said, adding that Shaw was a wealth not only of planning expertise but also institutional memory, "kind of like your on-demand history for when you're working on a project in Sandy."
Shaw points to his recent work overseeing the creation of a downtown in Sandy, a city that used to have "no heart, no center." That downtown, revolving around the South Towne Center at 10600 South and State Street, now includes an office park, the South Towne Expo Center, the Jordan Commons shopping and entertainment complex and a light-rail station.
Also in the works in downtown Sandy are a couple of mixed-use developments that include residential units, "pretty unusual for a suburban area," Shaw said. "That's pretty cutting-edge."
In addition to the big projects facing Salt Lake planners, Shaw will face a staffing shortfall in the planning department, as a number of planners have recently left for other jobs within the city or for personal reasons.
One position has recently been filled, but three openings remain.
Anderson said the administration is "moving very aggressively" to fill those positions, but he said some fundamental changes need to be made to ensure the city can retain planners.
Among those changes, he said the city needs to find room in its budget to offer better pay, including overtime, to planning staffers. He said planners often have to sit through long City Council meetings, waiting for one item on the agenda to be addressed.
"I think a lot of these meetings are much longer than necessary," Anderson said. "(Council members') crucial function is to make good, well-considered decisions after spending the necessary time to prepare, not to come in and make long-winded speeches on every issue that comes up."
Shaw said a high turnover rate is "not that unusual for most planning departments around the country," and he looks forward to working with the city's experienced planners as well as new hires.
Anderson said he hopes to see Salt Lake City planning move in a more efficient direction, as "there have been tremendous delays that have held up some of the progress that we should have been making." He also wants a focus on "making certain that we do all of it in a sustainable, energy-efficient manner."
Two other top jobs in the city remain open. Airport director Roy Williams was fired in October after only five months in the job, and in September, Redevelopment Agency director Dave Oka resigned to take a redevelopment job in North Las Vegas. Oka had been at the RDA since December 2001.
Neither of those jobs has been filled, and Anderson declined to discuss the status of those searches — though he hinted that an announcement regarding the airport director may be coming soon.
Also soon to be vacant: the position of director of the Salt Lake City Library system, currently held by Nancy Tessman. Tessman plans to retire at the end of June after 30 years with the library.


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[delts145]

Rocky hires Sandy official to oversee planning
By Heather May
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 12/27/2006 11:44:11 AM MST


Posted: 11:36 AM- Salt Lake City has hired away its suburban rival's top planner.
Mayor Rocky Anderson tapped George Shaw as Salt Lake City's planning director. Shaw has been Sandy's planning director since 1984. He is tentatively set to start his new job Jan. 17.
"I have something to offer the city to take them to the next level," Shaw said Wednesday. "There's a lot of neat projects coming on board. The opportunity to be a part of that . . . I think that's pretty exciting."
With Anderson's decision not to seek a third term, Shaw could be in the post for only a year. A new mayor will be elected in November.
But Shaw said he is "looking long term."
"I'm looking to be able to work with the current mayor and any future mayor," Shaw said. "I have the ability to be a consensus builder and build on strengths and be proactive."
Shaw is most excited to work on the LDS Church's City Creek Center development, which will replace the Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls with new retail and housing. He is reserving judgment until he becomes more familiar with it. "I'm excited by it. I'm sure there's ways it can be improved and bettered. A lot of thought has gone into it."
The Utah native - he was born in Murray and grew up in Provo - earned bachelor's and master's degrees from LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University. He has worked for Orem and Sandy.
His top accomplishment in Sandy could be giving it a sense of place.
"Sandy had no center, no downtown, no gathering place and now" it does, he noted, referring to the area around Sandy's City Hall and the South Towne shopping center.
At one point, Sandy billed itself as the "other downtown," and it does vie with Salt Lake City for jobs, retail and residents. Most notably, it snagged plans for a Major League Soccer stadium for Real Salt Lake.
But Shaw said he shares Anderson's "smart-growth" philosophy that limits sprawl and emphasizes alternative transportation and sustainable development.
"There's a lot of key issues there that people need to listen to and we need to work out together as a community," Shaw said.
He replaces Alex Ikefuna, who quit in October.

Related Story also from the Tribune,
Rocky reaches into suburb for a city planner
Shaw to take over SLC department; City Creek development poses the first big challenge
By Heather May
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 12/28/2006 01:08:41 AM MST


When Rocky Anderson travels to Sandy, he thinks he's in Any Suburb, USA.
"I used to wonder if Sandy had a planner," he joked Wednesday.
So it comes as a surprise that the anti-sprawl, pro-smart-growth Anderson - who doesn't want Salt Lake City to turn into a Sandy - tapped that city's top planner to lead the capital's planning department.
The mayor hired George Shaw as planning director, starting Jan. 17. He sees in Shaw a like-minded planner who hasn't had the chance to show off his forward-thinking principles.
"George is very committed to smart growth," Anderson said. "We both see this as a great opportunity to pursue progressive urban-planning principles because we both think very much alike."
Shaw said Wednesday he does share the mayor's philosophy that limits sprawl and emphasizes alternative transportation and sustainable development. And he said he already has implemented such designs where he could.
"I'm very pleased with what I've been able to accomplish," Shaw said. "Yeah, it's going to have a suburban feel to it but, gosh, it looks great."
He noted Sandy has a mixed-used zone, which won an award from Envision Utah.
A former Sandy gravel pit may be sprouting big-box stores, but he noted the area will include housing, a "retail village" and open space.
"There's different levels of smart growth," Shaw said, adding that Salt Lake City's urban environment will be more conducive to that concept.
With Anderson's decision not to seek a third term, Shaw could be in the post for only a year. A new mayor will be elected in November. But the new planning boss hopes to stick around.
"I'm looking to be able to work with the current mayor and any future mayor," Shaw said. "I have the ability to be a consensus builder and build on strengths and be proactive."
Shaw is most fired up to work on the LDS Church's City Creek Center, which will replace the Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls with new retail and housing. He is reserving judgment on the estimated $1 billion project until he becomes more familiar with it.
"I'm sure there's ways it can be improved and bettered," he said, adding that it will increase foot-traffic downtown. "A lot of thought has gone into it."
So far, the church's proposed sky bridge is the most controversial element. Shaw said he doesn't have an opinion on it "at this point."
He also will help guide a master plan for the northwest quadrant. Anderson noted the vast tract west of Salt Lake City International Airport will be crucial in demonstrating how a sustainable community can be built from scratch.
Shaw must help rebuild the planning department, which at one point had six vacancies among a 14-member staff. The remaining employees have complained of low morale and some felt their previous director, Alex Ikefuna, who quit in October, was inexperienced. "People are generally pretty happy that a professional planner is being hired," said Doug Dansie, who has worked as a Salt Lake City planner for 23 years.
Shaw has been Sandy's planning director since 1984. His top accomplishment could be giving the suburb a sense of place. "In Sandy, we had no heart. We had no center. We were just a bunch of subdivisions," he said.
Now the city of 93,000 people has several focal points - from the area around City Hall and the South Towne mall to the entertainment district anchored by Jordan Commons and the expo center.
At one point, Sandy billed itself as the "other downtown," vying with Salt Lake City for jobs, residents and retail. Just last year the suburb snagged a proposed Major League Soccer stadium for Real Salt Lake.
Anderson also must hire directors to oversee the airport and Redevelopment Agency.

[delts145]

Originally posted above by SLCProjects


Wow, I've got to say this is one very attractive building. That whole area will be as nice as the Huntsman Cancer Institute

[SLC Projects]

Shaw's salary will be $91,000 yearly, plus benefits. He is set to start Jan. 17.

^^^^^^
Wow, i want his job. LOL.

[jedikermit]

I think I like everything that Shaw said in that article. I was hoping for another hint or two about a Utah WTC, but that's okay.

[delts145]

I hope that those reponsible for the vision of the WTC Tower will give downtown a tower that will not only be a tallest but, "Way Tallest" We need something that when the skyline of Salt Lake is seen, people will immediately know that its Salt Lake City. Of course, the Wasatch range is the prettiest downtown backdrop in America, but we need some iconic towers.

[jedikermit]

I agree Delts--the most dramatic buildings in SLC are the City County Building, the Library, and the LDS Temple--all of which are things that are beautiful, but not in the "skyline" per se. I'd say right now Salt Lake's skyline is a bunch of boring, similar-looking boxes that could be in any small city--with a WTC, there's a real chance to give us something to brag about, and an instant icon for both the city and the region. If we're really going to do a WTC, let's do it right.

[pinyon]

I just got this from the Allen Millo mailing list.

We are pleased to announce that pre-construction reservations are being taken for the Patrick Dry Goods condominium project in Salt Lake City.

Patrick Dry Goods represents the next step in the development loft living in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The project is the adaptive re-use of the 5-story historic Decker-Patrick Dry Goods Building, built in 1914. When complete, the building will house 40, 800 sqft (approx.), 2-bedroom, one-bath loft style condominiums and about 8500 square feet of main floor retail space. The units will be priced around $300,000.

Located across 200 South Street (163 West) from the modern Salt Lake Convention Center, other neighborhood businesses include Ruth¹s Chris Steak House, The Hotel Monaco, Café Pierpont, Bambara restaurant, the Downtown Hilton Hotel, Redrock Brew Pub, The Metropolitan restaurant, PF Chang¹s, Squatters Brewery, Ginza Sushi, Macaroni Grill, The Hotel (dance club), Toasters Deli, Tony Caputo¹s Deli & Market, and the award-winning Cucina Toscana restaurant.

Since the building is in great condition, we expect to build quickly. Our goal is to close units faster than any other project currently under construction downtown, even our own!

Visit our website www.patrickdrygoods.com for further information.

[delts145]

That is great news Pinyon! What a great old handsome building. Man, I get so stoked when I see something like this happen. This will only keep that downtown residential snowball rolling and getting bigger and bigger and gaining more momentum.

[SLC Projects]

I love seeing old buildings getting turned into Lofts and Condos. Glad to see that salt lake are saving some of their old buildings.

[SLC Projects]

Here is another rending of the Expanison of the U of U hospital project.

[delts145]

The new SKY LODGE currently slated for completion in the Fall of 2007 will make it number four on the list of Five Star Hotels along the Wasatch Metro. This will be an Ultra Luxury Boutique Hotel. For more info. go to the Wasatch Resorts Thread.





The New St. Regis also under construction is a Five Star ultra luxury resort lodge




Occupying almost an entire city block, downtown Salt Lake City's Grand America Hotel is a five-star, 24-story, 775-key, 1,200,000-Sq.Foot hotel whose design was inspired by the elegance and classic taste of the finest traditional European hotels. The property offers two full-service restaurants, an entertainment lounge, a full-service spa, and 134,000-SF of conference and meeting facilities. All work on this project was completed on time for the 2002 Winter Olympics. This project is listed among Conde Nast Travelers Top 100 Hotels of the World. For 2007, The Grand Hotel has also earned the prestigious Five-Diamond Award making it among a select few to retain both a five-star and five-diamond ranking.




Stein Erickson Lodge has become a world renowned retreat for the rich and famous. Conde Nast once proclaimed," if James Bond had designed a Lodge it would be, Stein Erickson."

[Comrade]

"Ahhh! The giant people are attacking the lodge...run for you lives!"

[SmilingBob]

Real Estate Update

by Utah Business Staff and Wire Services

As the year winds down, real estate throughout the state continues to see a brisk business. Among the projects are a delay in Hill Air Force Base’s West Side Development initiative in Ogden, sale of the Legacy at Lake Park office towers and the ground-breaking of Chiniquy Center in St. George. Following is information about these and other projects.

Hill Air Force Base Announces Delay In West Side Development Plans
The Hill AFB West Side Development (WSD) team has agreed to use a competitive process for the WSD initiative. This strategy change will delay the project for several months, although Hill AFB remains strongly committed to continue this vital real estate project. The West Side Development area lies on the west side of Hill Air Force Base adjacent to Interstate 15. The WSD initiative will create a unique land use relationship for developing a compatible business and technology park that better enables execution of the Air Force mission while supporting and enhancing local community goals. Hill AFB has an immediate need for administrative space. The proposed solution is a grant of 600 acres in a phased approach for development.

Big-D Construction Awarded University Of Utah Contract
The University of Utah has awarded Big-D Construction of Salt Lake City a $3.5 million contract to build an addition to the College of Social Work. The 15,000 square foot addition will house wireless classrooms, a training center and 100-seat public meeting room. Construction is scheduled to begin spring 2007 with estimated completion time of one year.
27 Acres Purchased At Stansbury Park
Woodbury Corp. has closed on the purchase of 27 acres of commercial ground at Stansbury Park in Tooele County. Preliminary plans call for a grocery-anchored shopping center to be built in the residential community. The seller of the land, Lucadia Financial Corp, was represented by commercial brokers Rick Davidson and Jim Bates of NAI Utah Commercial Real Estate. Gary Nelson of Highland Commercial represented Woodbury. The price of the transaction was undisclosed.

Wholesale Lumber Distributor Purchases Land For Facility
Capital Lumber Co., a wholesale distributor of building materials, has purchased 17 acres of industrial land located at 5073 W 200 South in Salt Lake City. The Phoenix-based company plans to build a 55,000-square-foot facility on the site. Captial, currently located at 1812 S. Empire Road, has 12 regional distribution centers and hopes to be operational in the new Utah distribution center late next year.
Two Men And A Truck Moves To South Salt Lake
To provide better and more convenient service in the Salt Lake Valley, moving franchise Two Men and a Truck has re-located to larger facilities in South Salt Lake from its previous location in Murray. The company, which anticipates a total of 1,300 moves this year, outgrew its Murray location after just 18 months, said Jim Blackinton, owner of the South Salt Lake and Layton franchises. The new location is 3532 S. West Temple Bldg H, Ste 1. The phone number remains the same, 801-747-1033.
Chiniquy Center Breaks Ground
Watts Construction has broken ground for a new office building to be named Chiniquy Center at 555 South Bluff St. in St. George. The owner of the project, Chad Chiniquy teamed with Watts Construction as the construction manager and Ken Naylor as the architect. The Tuscan-inspired three-story office building boasts xeroscaped garden levels that allow three levels of naturally lit office space within the 45,000-square-foot building, which will use innovative Insulated Concrete Forms to increase the insulation quality and noise reduction value significantly as well as be efficiently heated and cooled using the constant temperature of the earth's sub surface strata. The office space is being leased by Coldwell Banker Commercial KGA with IMC Mortgage, Snow, Christensen and Martineau and First American Title as tenants so far.
Waiora USA, Inc. Signs Three-Year Lease in Salt Lake City

Waiora USA, Inc. has signed a three-year lease for 16,800 square feet at Majestic Airport Center in Salt Lake City. For the owner-developer, Majestic Realty Co., broker William R. Hayden and Kyle Roberts of NAI Utah handled the transaction, which includes an option to renew for three years. Roberts also represented Waiora. Based in Boca Raton, FL, Waiora is a nutritional company focused on healthy living and aging.

Legacy At Lake Park Office Towers Sold
The two 100,000-square-foot Class A mid-rise buildings that comprise Legacy at Lake Park, 4225 and 4255 Lake Park Blvd. in Salt Lake City, were purchased for investment purposes by Talcott III Legacy, LLC. The purchase included both office buildings, plus 7.7acres of land. Marty Plunkett, CCIM of CB Richard Ellis in Salt Lake City and John G. Taylor, MAI, SIOR of Commerce CRG represented the seller, Legacy Equities, LLC in this transaction.

[SmilingBob]

Real Estate Update

by Utah Business Staff and Wire Services

As the year winds down, real estate throughout the state continues to see a brisk business. Among the projects are a delay in Hill Air Force Base’s West Side Development initiative in Ogden, sale of the Legacy at Lake Park office towers and the ground-breaking of Chiniquy Center in St. George. Following is information about these and other projects.

Hill Air Force Base Announces Delay In West Side Development Plans
The Hill AFB West Side Development (WSD) team has agreed to use a competitive process for the WSD initiative. This strategy change will delay the project for several months, although Hill AFB remains strongly committed to continue this vital real estate project. The West Side Development area lies on the west side of Hill Air Force Base adjacent to Interstate 15. The WSD initiative will create a unique land use relationship for developing a compatible business and technology park that better enables execution of the Air Force mission while supporting and enhancing local community goals. Hill AFB has an immediate need for administrative space. The proposed solution is a grant of 600 acres in a phased approach for development.

Big-D Construction Awarded University Of Utah Contract
The University of Utah has awarded Big-D Construction of Salt Lake City a $3.5 million contract to build an addition to the College of Social Work. The 15,000 square foot addition will house wireless classrooms, a training center and 100-seat public meeting room. Construction is scheduled to begin spring 2007 with estimated completion time of one year.
27 Acres Purchased At Stansbury Park
Woodbury Corp. has closed on the purchase of 27 acres of commercial ground at Stansbury Park in Tooele County. Preliminary plans call for a grocery-anchored shopping center to be built in the residential community. The seller of the land, Lucadia Financial Corp, was represented by commercial brokers Rick Davidson and Jim Bates of NAI Utah Commercial Real Estate. Gary Nelson of Highland Commercial represented Woodbury. The price of the transaction was undisclosed.

Wholesale Lumber Distributor Purchases Land For Facility
Capital Lumber Co., a wholesale distributor of building materials, has purchased 17 acres of industrial land located at 5073 W 200 South in Salt Lake City. The Phoenix-based company plans to build a 55,000-square-foot facility on the site. Captial, currently located at 1812 S. Empire Road, has 12 regional distribution centers and hopes to be operational in the new Utah distribution center late next year.
Two Men And A Truck Moves To South Salt Lake
To provide better and more convenient service in the Salt Lake Valley, moving franchise Two Men and a Truck has re-located to larger facilities in South Salt Lake from its previous location in Murray. The company, which anticipates a total of 1,300 moves this year, outgrew its Murray location after just 18 months, said Jim Blackinton, owner of the South Salt Lake and Layton franchises. The new location is 3532 S. West Temple Bldg H, Ste 1. The phone number remains the same, 801-747-1033.
Chiniquy Center Breaks Ground
Watts Construction has broken ground for a new office building to be named Chiniquy Center at 555 South Bluff St. in St. George. The owner of the project, Chad Chiniquy teamed with Watts Construction as the construction manager and Ken Naylor as the architect. The Tuscan-inspired three-story office building boasts xeroscaped garden levels that allow three levels of naturally lit office space within the 45,000-square-foot building, which will use innovative Insulated Concrete Forms to increase the insulation quality and noise reduction value significantly as well as be efficiently heated and cooled using the constant temperature of the earth's sub surface strata. The office space is being leased by Coldwell Banker Commercial KGA with IMC Mortgage, Snow, Christensen and Martineau and First American Title as tenants so far.
Waiora USA, Inc. Signs Three-Year Lease in Salt Lake City

Waiora USA, Inc. has signed a three-year lease for 16,800 square feet at Majestic Airport Center in Salt Lake City. For the owner-developer, Majestic Realty Co., broker William R. Hayden and Kyle Roberts of NAI Utah handled the transaction, which includes an option to renew for three years. Roberts also represented Waiora. Based in Boca Raton, FL, Waiora is a nutritional company focused on healthy living and aging.

Legacy At Lake Park Office Towers Sold
The two 100,000-square-foot Class A mid-rise buildings that comprise Legacy at Lake Park, 4225 and 4255 Lake Park Blvd. in Salt Lake City, were purchased for investment purposes by Talcott III Legacy, LLC. The purchase included both office buildings, plus 7.7acres of land. Marty Plunkett, CCIM of CB Richard Ellis in Salt Lake City and John G. Taylor, MAI, SIOR of Commerce CRG represented the seller, Legacy Equities, LLC in this transaction.

[rds70]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Shaw's salary will be $91,000 yearly, plus benefits. He is set to start Jan. 17.

^^^^^^
Wow, i want his job. LOL.

Thats actually pretty low for a big city Planning Director. Denver's director makes $125,000. And most suburban Denver directors make at least $90,000.

[rds70]

Also in the works in downtown Sandy are a couple of mixed-use developments that include residential units, "pretty unusual for a suburban area," Shaw said. "That's pretty cutting-edge."

Maybe for a Utah suburb, but most other suburbs across the country that are the size of Sandy already have mixed-use projects or real downtowns.

Also, when I worked for Draper in the late 1990's, I met with George often. He was not the most innovative person. Hopefully, things have changed in the last decade.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by rds70

Thats actually pretty low for a big city Planning Director. Denver's director makes $125,000. And most suburban Denver directors make at least $90,000.

Maybe, but $90,000 per year is still alot more money then i make.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

"Ahhh! The giant people are attacking the lodge...run for you lives!"

Funny.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by rds70

Thats actually pretty low for a big city Planning Director. Denver's director makes $125,000. And most suburban Denver directors make at least $90,000.

rds70's next post,
Maybe for a Utah suburb, but most other suburbs across the country that are the size of Sandy already have mixed-use projects or real downtowns.
Also, when I worked for Draper in the late 1990's, I met with George often. He was not the most innovative person. Hopefully, things have changed in the last decade.



I'm also sure a lot of us make a hell of alot more than you rds70. I would be very interested to hear what Mr. Shaw's opinion is of you.
Also, I'll take the typical suburb plots of the Wasatch with its spectacular topography over your boring plains any day.