Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[freeshavocado]

Originally Posted by rockies

Idk if this is news but Wells Fargo on 2100S/1100E is relocating in September. I remember seeing the property was purchased a while ago but not sure if there has been any more information

Sounds like good news. That Wells Fargo has always been a dead zone on the most important intersection in Sugarhouse. If apartments are put there, they better include groundfloor retail or a restaurant on that corner. Or another gas station (jk)

[Reeder113]

Salt Lake Bees announce plan to move to new Daybreak stadium by 2025

https://www.ksl.com/article/50559255...tadium-by-2025



The Larry H. Miller Company, which owns the Triple-A minor league club, announced Tuesday that it plans to build a new stadium in South Jordan's Daybreak community, which is set to be ready for the 2025 season. Company officials said the stadium is being built with private funds, with construction beginning later this year.

[Comrade]

It's official: the Bees will relocate to Daybreak after the 2024 season. Definitely a disappointing move and a real killer for the ballpark neighborhood that felt like it was starting to turn things around.

Would love to see the city use this as a chance to lure a MLB team to the area but I'm not sure they will ever be that proactive, especially with the current mayor.

I think the move to Daybreak is going to be a disaster. But it'll be fun to watch it utterly fail.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by Comrade

It's official: the Bees will relocate to Daybreak after the 2024 season. Definitely a disappointing move and a real killer for the ballpark neighborhood that felt like it was starting to turn things around.

Would love to see the city use this as a chance to lure a MLB team to the area but I'm not sure they will ever be that proactive, especially with the current mayor.

I think the move to Daybreak is going to be a disaster. But it'll be fun to watch it utterly fail.

I completely disagree. I've worked in the Ballpark neighborhood for the past five years and it's a complete disaster. I'm always looking over my shoulder while walking to the TRAX station. Drug deals everywhere. The homeless burning down homes (The Mayor had to step in on that one). And while there have been a few projects to try to help clean that area up, it really doesn't feel any different.

Had I owned the Bees I would have moved them out of that area a long time ago. People don't want to be in that neighborhood because it doesn't feel safe. Moving it to Daybreak will appeal to many more people who would have had reservations attending the current ballpark.

And to top it off, Daybreak has a TRAX station as well.

[Sight-Seer]

I've lived a mile from the ballpark for years. It isn't any different from the rest of the city. There are homeless and drugs everywhere. I don't feel unsafe in my neighborhood. People who don't live in Salt Lake have a warped idea of how unsafe it is. Lots of people from the suburbs won't go downtown. However, I don't think the ballpark has "revitalized" the neighborhood. It hasn't encouraged development. The thing that is bringing development now is the housing market. Development itself encourages development. I don't understand why they want to move the team. It seems like the games are well attended. They will probably find another use for the ballpark like local soccer or something. I don't think it will have a big impact.

[taboubak]

I promise to never attend another Bees game again, and I hope this fails horribly. Baseball teams just don't belong in the suburbs, this is a big blunder by LHM Corp.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by Reeder113

I completely disagree. I've worked in the Ballpark neighborhood for the past five years and it's a complete disaster. I'm always looking over my shoulder while walking to the TRAX station. Drug deals everywhere. The homeless burning down homes (The Mayor had to step in on that one). And while there have been a few projects to try to help clean that area up, it really doesn't feel any different.

Had I owned the Bees I would have moved them out of that area a long time ago. People don't want to be in that neighborhood because it doesn't feel safe. Moving it to Daybreak will appeal to many more people who would have had reservations attending the current ballpark.

And to top it off, Daybreak has a TRAX station as well.

Oh I think you're 100% wrong. This isn't going to appeal to more people when you tuck it in a corner of the valley that is not very accessible to a huge chunk of the population.

Sure, they can try to pull in from Utah County and the southern valley but ask the Orem Owlz how that went - oh wait, they moved.

And all the TRAX stations in the world still doesn't make that area remotely as accessible as Smith's, which isn't far from a station and literally blocks from I-15.

Yeah, this will fail - or the Bees will drop down to AA.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Oh I think you're 100% wrong. This isn't going to appeal to more people when you tuck it in a corner of the valley that is not very accessible to a huge chunk of the population.

Sure, they can try to pull in from Utah County and the southern valley but ask the Orem Owlz how that went - oh wait, they moved.

And all the TRAX stations in the world still doesn't make that area remotely as accessible as Smith's, which isn't far from a station and literally blocks from I-15.

Yeah, this will fail - or the Bees will drop down to AA.

Real SL is in neighboring Sandy, and they're doing just fine. Bangerter Hwy (which is slowly becoming a freeway) runs right alongside Daybreak with an interchange at 11400 S (Not to mention Mountain View which runs right through the middle of it). The stadium will likely be sandwiched between two freeways at some point.

I'd still rather attend a game in South Jordan over 13th South any day of the week. I'll definitely be attending more games once the new stadium is built.

[wrendog]

Unfortunately, building a brand new AAA ballpark in the metro most likely means MLB ain't coming anytime soon

[Always Sunny in SLC]

I think two things are unarguable. First, the Ballpark Station has been there almost a quarter of a century and the neighborhood is still being sold as its turn around is close. Second, the Bees didn’t have any impact on promoting development.

[taboubak]

Originally Posted by Reeder113

I completely disagree. I've worked in the Ballpark neighborhood for the past five years and it's a complete disaster. I'm always looking over my shoulder while walking to the TRAX station. Drug deals everywhere. The homeless burning down homes (The Mayor had to step in on that one). And while there have been a few projects to try to help clean that area up, it really doesn't feel any different.

Had I owned the Bees I would have moved them out of that area a long time ago. People don't want to be in that neighborhood because it doesn't feel safe. Moving it to Daybreak will appeal to many more people who would have had reservations attending the current ballpark.

And to top it off, Daybreak has a TRAX station as well.

This is such an over exaggeration, people from the suburbs always freak out when they see a few homeless people in the city and then claim their soulless parking lot covered suburban hellscapes are utopian. The attendance numbers at the current ballpark are great and the neighborhood is not the detractor you claim it is. Maybe the reason you are always looking over your shoulder says more about you then it does about the people around you. Seriously name one incident where a homeless person attacked someone leaving a Bees game.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by taboubak

This is such an over exaggeration, people from the suburbs always freak out when they see a few homeless people in the city and then claim their soulless parking lot covered suburban hellscapes are utopian. The attendance numbers at the current ballpark are great and the neighborhood is not the detractor you claim it is. Maybe the reason you are always looking over your shoulder says more about you than it does about the people around you. Seriously name one incident where a homeless person attacked someone leaving a Bees game.

Please don't assume. Like I said, I've worked on Major Street for years. Within my first TWO MONTHS of working there, there were two murders within two blocks of my work place in 2018. Many more followed. It's not just drugs and homeless people pooping on our front door. It's violent assaults and murders. I'm not just making this stuff up. And you have no idea WHY I was looking over my shoulder. I had my reasons, bud. Did you hear about all the house fires on Major Street this past December? Did you see the Mayor step in and announce they're going to demolish the homes because of the danger they posed?

The Fire Fighters who work on the stadium block are extremely frustrated with what's happening around there. I know because I spoke with some of them.

You act like the stadium is parked in the middle of the Garden of Eden.

[scottharding]

Well, guess I've attended my last Bees game.

[Always Sunny in SLC]

Originally Posted by taboubak

This is such an over exaggeration, people from the suburbs always freak out when they see a few homeless people in the city and then claim their soulless parking lot covered suburban hellscapes are utopian. The attendance numbers at the current ballpark are great and the neighborhood is not the detractor you claim it is. Maybe the reason you are always looking over your shoulder says more about you then it does about the people around you. Seriously name one incident where a homeless person attacked someone leaving a Bees game.

Right or wrong you are right that many suburbanites have a perception of the area and SLC overall. If that is true then it would stand to reason that the potential pool of attendees is limited. I want them to stay because stadiums in urban areas can be awesome. The inability of SLC to turn the neighborhood around after decades is where the fingers should be pointed.

[ucsbgaucho]

Originally Posted by Reeder113

I completely disagree. I've worked in the Ballpark neighborhood for the past five years and it's a complete disaster. I'm always looking over my shoulder while walking to the TRAX station. Drug deals everywhere. The homeless burning down homes (The Mayor had to step in on that one). And while there have been a few projects to try to help clean that area up, it really doesn't feel any different.

Had I owned the Bees I would have moved them out of that area a long time ago. People don't want to be in that neighborhood because it doesn't feel safe. Moving it to Daybreak will appeal to many more people who would have had reservations attending the current ballpark.

And to top it off, Daybreak has a TRAX station as well.

In the end it will probably be a better experience as they'll build out the stadium with surrounding development from the get-go, not like the current stadium which was built in an era when that additional development of restaurants and other entertainment options was just not at the forefront. If you look at the Arizona Cardinals stadium that was built way out in the burbs and surrounded by nothing, it took many years to surround it with some entertainment, now there's a whole district with restaurants, Top Golf, another indoor arena which was built around the same time, etc. So it sounds like the new Bees stadium will be built with all that in mind to begin with, which should increase the desire for fans to go. I've been to Smith's a half dozen times and it's a fun experience but there is nothing to do outside of the game; you just get back in your car and go somewhere else for dinner or drinks.

Agree that it will lose a lot of fans, especially north of Salt Lake, who won't want to double their drive time to get to a game, but it will certainly add fans at the south end of the valley who didn't want to make the drive before. Overall it's probably going to be a wash; a better gameday experience for fans to come early or stay late to spend money, but less convenient to get to for most.

While there are currently no MLB teams that share the same city as their AAA affiliate (although Vegas may soon be the first), not sure if this will have any effect on the chances of SLC getting a team eventually. It could be a bellwether for MLB to look at the SLC market and see how it responds when this new stadium opens, but SLC is no where near the top of the list for a team anyway so we're still a LONNNNNNNNG way off from even being considered a viable option for MLB expansion or relocation.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by ucsbgaucho

In the end it will probably be a better experience as they'll build out the stadium with surrounding development from the get-go, not like the current stadium which was built in an era when that additional development of restaurants and other entertainment options was just not at the forefront. If you look at the Arizona Cardinals stadium that was built way out in the burbs and surrounded by nothing, it took many years to surround it with some entertainment, now there's a whole district with restaurants, Top Golf, another indoor arena which was built around the same time, etc. So it sounds like the new Bees stadium will be built with all that in mind to begin with, which should increase the desire for fans to go. I've been to Smith's a half dozen times and it's a fun experience but there is nothing to do outside of the game; you just get back in your car and go somewhere else for dinner or drinks.

Agree that it will lose a lot of fans, especially north of Salt Lake, who won't want to double their drive time to get to a game, but it will certainly add fans at the south end of the valley who didn't want to make the drive before. Overall it's probably going to be a wash; a better gameday experience for fans to come early or stay late to spend money, but less convenient to get to for most.

While there are currently no MLB teams that share the same city as their AAA affiliate (although Vegas may soon be the first), not sure if this will have any effect on the chances of SLC getting a team eventually. It could be a bellwether for MLB to look at the SLC market and see how it responds when this new stadium opens, but SLC is no where near the top of the list for a team anyway so we're still a LONNNNNNNNG way off from even being considered a viable option for MLB expansion or relocation.

I think that's a fair assessment. They will undoubtedly lose some attendees and gain some, as well. Only time will tell what kind of impact this will make.

But I do agree that there aren't a lot of restaurant options directly surrounding the current stadium. Lucky 13 has amazing food, but it's small. The potential for development around a stadium in Daybreak is certainly much greater.

[Reeder113]

Speaking of the ballpark neighborhood, here's a Tweet Erin Mendenhall just put up, addressing this very topic, and her thoughts on the future of that area:

https://twitter.com/slcmayor/status/...1nmIlI2QGxz0jw

[taboubak]

Originally Posted by Always Sunny in SLC

Right or wrong you are right that many suburbanites have a perception of the area and SLC overall. If that is true then it would stand to reason that the potential pool of attendees is limited. I want them to stay because stadiums in urban areas can be awesome. The inability of SLC to turn the neighborhood around after decades is where the fingers should be pointed.

Ya i was probably a bit harsh in my presentation of the point sorry Reeder. I don't blame the city as much as a blame a broken country with no social safety nets. Homeless have to be somewhere and every city has this issue its not exclusive to SLC. In fact it's sadly better here than most large US cities. Complete Gentrification of this neighbor would just push the problem elsewhere. Still I stand by my point that stadiums in the suburbs are awful if they really wanted a new location Daybreak was not the solution.

[Rileybo]

Hey guys, a stadium in Daybreak will attract more real estate investment to the land these guys own. This is actually fantastic. Plus, the current ballpark will rot like raging waters until it’s replaced by some sweet 5 over 1s. That’s gonna be really exciting to watch. Win win for Salt Lake City!!!

[airhero]

Outside of Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, and parts of Lehi, Daybreak really isn’t any closer to Utah County residents than smiths ballpark is now, in terms of driving time, though that will change once mvc is a fully functioning freeway. For anyone living north of Midvale, however, it’s a lot further away. I’m surprised it’s not moving to the prison site. But maybe that’s being saved for MLB :/

Honestly though, I don’t blame them for moving. The ballpark neighborhood does have problems. And I’m not talking about homeless and drugs, I’m talking about engagement. It’s not a fun neighborhood. Daybreak offers a clean slate to develop around it how they please. And Daybreak has potential to be more engaging. It’s just far away for most wasatch front residents.